RELATING  TO 


The  Evidences  of  Revealed  Religion, 


DELIVERED    IN   THE 


CHURCH  OF  THE  UNIVERSALISTS, 
AT  PHILADELPHIA,   1796. 


AND 

PUBLISHED  AT  THE  REQUEST  OF  MANY  OF  THE 
HEARERS. 


BY  JOSEPH  PRIESTLEY,  LL.D.F.R.S. 
&c.  &c. 


Be  ready  always  to  give  an  anfwer  to  every  man  that 
afketh  you  a  reafon  of  the  hope  that  is  in  you. 

I  PET.  iii.  15 


PHILADELPHIA, 

PRINTED  BY  JOHN  THOMPSON, 

MDCCXCVJ. 


ET//OO 
pv 

THE  DEDICATION.  ^ 


To  JOHN   ADAMS, 

VICE-PRESIDENT  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  OF 
AMERICA. 


DEAR    SIR, 

THE  happinejs  I  have  had  of  your 
acquaintance  and  correspondence  ever  fince  your 
embajjy  to  England,  our  common  friend/hip  for  Dr. 
Price,  the  ardent  friend  of  liberty  and  of  America, 
your  Jleady  att/7rtwi<»nt  tn  the  r.miff.  nf  r.hriflianity  , 
the  favourable  attention  you  gave  to  the  follow 
ing  Difcourfes,  when  they  were  delivered,  and  the 
wijh  you  exprejjed  that  they  might  be  publijhed,  in 
duce  me  to  take  the  liberty  to  dedicate  them  to  you. 

Statefmen  who  have  thejirmnefs  of  mind  to  pro- 
fefs  themfelves  Chriftians,  and  who  have  ajujlfenfe 
of  the  importance  of  chriflianity,  are  not  numerous  ; 
and  thofe  of  them  who  adopt  a  rational  chriftianity, 
the  evidences  and  doctrines  of  which  will  bear  to  be 
fubmitted  to  the  tejl  of  reafon,  in  this  age,  in  which, 
while  many  are  carried  away  by  the  prevailing  tide  of 
infidelity,  others  oppofe  it  by  an  enthufiafm  which 
dif  claims  the  aid  of  re  af  on,  are  Jlill  fewer  ;  and  are 
therefore  entitled  to  the  greater  ejleem  of  thofe  wbo 
entertain  the  fame  fentiments. 

a  2  We 


.- 


iv  THE  DEDICATION. 

We  Jhall,  no  doubt,  ourjelves  be  ranked  with 
enthujiqfts  by  thoje  unbelievers  (and  by  far  the 
greater  part  of  them  are  of  this  clafs)  ivbo  have  be 
come  fo  without  any  jujl  knowledge  of  the  fubjeffi, 
or  invejligation  of  the  evidence  of  revelation.  But 
the  contempt  of  Juch  perjons,  whatever  rank  they 
may  hold  in  the  political  or  the  learned  world,  is 
itjelf  contemptible*  Every  ferious  inquirer  after 
truth,  will  refpeffi  other  ferious  inquirers,  though 
their  opinions  Jhould  differ  ever  fo  much.  But  the 
cenfures  of  men,  whether  well  or  ill-informed,  will 
appear  of  little  moment  to  tbofe  who  look  to  the  deci- 
fion  of  the  impartial  Judge  of  all.  Ayd,  mind- 
ful  of  his  folemn  warning,  we  mujl  not  be  afhamed 
of  him,  or  of  his  caufe,  in  any  circumjlances ,  bow- 
ever  unfavourable,  left  he  Jhould  be  afhamed  of  us  at 
a  time  when  his  favour  will  be  of  infinitely  greater 
moment  to  us  than  any  thing  elfe. 

Tou  and  I,  Sir,  are  advancing  to  a  period  of 
life  in  which  thefe  views  naturally  open  more  and 
more  upon  us.    We  jind  this  world  receding,  and 
another  fajl  approaching,  and  we  feel  the  import 
ance  of  having  fomething  to  look  to  when  the  prefent 
fcene  of  things  Jhall  be  clojed.     And  whatever  we 
value  for  ourjelves,  it  behoves  us  to  recommmend  to 
ethers.    Tou  will,  therefore,  rejoice  if  an  exhibition 
of  the  evidences  of  revealed  religion,  fucb  as  is  con 
tained 


THE  DEDICATION.  v 

tained  in  thefe  Difcourfes,  Jhould  produce  any  ef- 
fedt. 

It  is  happy  that,  in  this  country,  religion  has  no 
connexion  with  civil  power,  a  circumjlance  which 
gives  the  caufe  of  truth  all  the  advantage  that  its  bejt 
friends  can  defire.  But  religion  is  of  as  much  ufe 
to  Statefmen  as  to  any  individuals  whatever.  Chrif- 
tian  principles  will  beft  enable  men  to  devote  their 
time,  their  talents,  their  lives,  and  what  is  often  a 
greater  facnfice  Jlill,  their  characters,  to  the  public 
good ;  and  in  public  life  this  will  often  be,  in  a  great 
meafure,  necejjary. 

Let  a  man  attain  to  eminence,  of  any  kind,  and 
by  whatever  means,  even  the  moft  honourable,  he 
will  be  expofed  to  envy  and  jealoufy,  and  ofcourfe 
he  muft  expect  to  meet  with  calumny  and  abufe.  It 
was  the  lot  of  our  Saviour  himfelf,  and  it  is  a  part 
of  the  wife  order  of  providence  that  it  Jhould  always 
be  fo.  For,  bejides  that  it  is  of  the  greateft  import 
ance  to  the  community,  that  every  perfon  in  a  public 
ftation,  Jhould  have  the  ftrongeft  motive  for  the 
greateft  circumspection,  unmixed  praife  is  what  no 
human  mind  can  bear  without  injury.  An  undue  elation, 
which  -would  foon  be  found  to  be  as  hurtful  to  himfelf 
as  unpleafant  to  others,  would  be  the  necejjary  con- 

fequtnce 


vi  THE  DEDICATION. 

fequence  of  it.  And  what  principles  can  enable  a 
man  to  confult  the  real  good  of  his  fellow  citizens, 
•without  being  diverted  from  his  generous  purpofe  by 
a  regard  to  their  opinion  concerning  him,  like  thofe 
of  the  Chriftian,  who  can  be  fatisfied  with  the  ap 
probation  of  his  own  mind  (which  of  courfe  draws 
after  it  that  of  his  Maker)  and  who,  though  not  infen- 
Jible  to  due  praife,  can  defpife  calumny,  and  fteadily 
overlooking  every  thing  that  is  intermediate,  pa 
tiently  wait  for  the  day  of  final  retribution  ?  As 
thefe  principles  enabled  the  apoftles  to  rejoice  in 
tribulation,  and  persecution  of  every  kind,  Jo  the 
virtuous  ftatefman  will  not  complain  of  that  abufe 
which  operates  Jo  favourably  both  with  refpedl  to  his 
own  mind,  and  the  interejts  of  his  country.  They 
are  Chriftian  principles  that  be  ft  enable  a  man  to 
bear  this  necejfary  and  excellent  discipline,  and  form 
the  truly  dijinterefted  and  magnanimous  patriot. 

J  cannot  conclude  this  addrefs  without  exprejjing 
the  fatisfacTion  I  feel  in  the  government  which  has 
afforded  me  an  afylum  from  the  persecution  which 
obliged  me  to  leave  England,  perfuaded  that,  its 
principles  being  fundamentally  good,  inftead  of 
tending,  like  the  old  governments  of  Europe,  to 
greater  abufe,  it  will  tend  to  continual  melioration. 
Still,  however,  my  utmoft  wi/h  is  to  live  as  aftran- 

ger 


THE  DEDICATION.  vii 

ger  among  you,  with  liberty  to  attend  without  in 
terruption  to  my  favourite  pursuits ;  wijhing  well  to 
my  native  country,  as  I  do  to  all  the  world,  and 
hoping  that  its  interejts,  and  thofe  of  this  country, 
will  be  inseparable,  and  consequently  that  peace 
between  them  will  be  perpetual. 

I  am,  with  the  greateft  ejteem, 
Dear  Sir, 

PHILADELPHIA, 

,  1796.  Tours  fmcerely, 

J.  PRIESTLEY. 


TH  E     PR  E  FACE. 

A  HE  Difcourfes  contained  in  this  volume 
may  be  coniidered  as  fupplemental  to  thofe 
which  I  delivered  in  England  relating  to  the 
fame  fubje<5l,  juft  before  I  left  that  country,  and 
which  have  been  re-printed  in  this.  Being 
requefted  to  preach  in  this  city,  I  thought  I 
could  not  make  choice  of  any  fubjecls  more 
unexceptionable,  or  more  ufeful,  than  of  fuch 
as  relate  to  the  evidences  of  revealed  religion,  in 
an  age  abounding  with  unbelievers,  many  of 
whom  have  become  fo  merely  for  want  of 
better  information.  Being  unwilling  to  go  over 
the  fame  ground  that  I  had  been  upon  before, 
I  have  made  thefe  difcourfes  interfere  as  little 
as  poffible  with  the  former.  Some  of  the  fame 
obfervations  will,  no  doubt,  be  found  in  both  ; 
but  they  are  not  many,  and  of  fuch  parti 
cular  importance,  that  they  cannot  be  too 
much  impreJTed  on  the  minds  of  chriftians. 

As 


x  THE     PREFACE. 

As  I  had  no  intention  of  publifhing  thefe 
difcourfes,  at  leaft  at  this  time,  1  did  not  note 
the  authorities  I  have  made  ufe  of  in  them,  as 
there  could  not  have  been  any  propriety,  or  ule, 
in  reciting  them  from  the  pulpit ;  and  being  at 
a  diftance  from  my  library,  I  cannot  add  them 
now.  But  they  are  fuch  as,  I  am  confident,  no 
perfon  at  all  acquainted  with  the  fubjects  will 
call  in  queftion.  They  were  by  no  means 
originally  collected  by  myfelf.  The  far  greater 
part  of  them  have  been  frequently  quoted,  and 
their  accuracy  never  difputed.  I  had  little  to 
do  befides  collecting,  arranging,  and  applying 
them,  in  a  manner  fomewhat  more  adapted  to 
my  prefent  purpofe.  The  greater  part  of  them 
will  be  found  in  LelancTs  Necejfity  of  Revelation, 
Young's  Difcourfes  on  Revelation  the  Cure  of 
fuperflition,  and  the  Letters  of  fome  Jews  to 
Voltaire.,  all  which  works  I  would  recommend 
to  the  attentive  perufal  of  my  readers.  The 
doctrines  of  the  heathen  phiiofophers  were  almoft 
all  copied  verbatim  from  Brucker's  Hiflory  of 
Pbllofopby  abridged  by  Dr.  Enfield,  a  truly 
valuable,  accurate,  and  well  digefted  work.  The 
account  of  the  Grecian  oracles,  and  various  of 
their  fuperftitions,  will  be  found  in  Potter's 
Antiquities  of  Greece,  a  common,  but  moil  excel 
lent  work. 

The 


TH      PREFACE.  xi 

The  Second  Part  of  Mr.  Paine  s  Age  of 
Reafon  being  publifhed  in  this  city  during  the 
delivery  of  thefe  Difcourfes,  I  thought  proper  to 
animadvert  upon  fuch  parts  of  it  as  appeared 
to  me  moft  deferving  of  notice.  I  had  once 
thought  of  replying  to  this  part  of  the  work 
more  at  large,  as  I  did  to  the  firft  part ;  but  I 
afterwards  thought  that  afTertions  fo  extravagant 
and  ill  founded  as  Mr.  Paine's  generally  are,  may 
be  fafely  left  to  have  their  full  effect,  as  it  can 
only  be  upon  the  minds  of  perfons  fo  extreme 
ly  ignorant  and  prejudiced,  that  no  refutation 
would  be  attended  to  by  them,  fo  that  it  would 
only  be  throwing  pearls  before  fwine. 

So  great  is  Mr.  Paine's  ignorance  with  refpect 
to  fubjecls  of  this  nature,  that  he  maintains, 
page  35,  that  the  book  of  Job  has  tf  all  the 
"  circumftantial  evidences  of  being  an  original 
"  book  of  the  Gentiles/'  principally  becaufe  he 
finds  in  it  the  mention  of  Orion,  Arcturus,  and 
the  Pleiades^  which  are  Greek  words ;  when 
thefe  terms  occur  only  in  tranflations,  thofe  in  the 
original  being  quite  different.  Surely  he  had 
accefs  to  fome  unbelievers,  who  could  have 
informed  him  better. 

Without  deigning  to  reply  to  any  thing  that 
had  been  advanced  againft  the  firft  part  of 
his  work,  Mr.  Paine  in  this  proceeds  with  an 
air  of  infolent  triumph,  as  if  all  the  advocates 

for 


xii  THE     PREFACE 

ot  revelation  lay  proftrate  at  his  feet,  whereas 
they  are  looking  down  upon  him,  and  feel  no 
emotions  but  thofe  of  pity  for  himfelf,  and  his 
deluded  followers,  the  blind  led  by  the  blind. 

There  are,  however,  unbelievers  more 
ignorant  than  Mr.  Paine.  M.  Volney,  Laquinio, 
and  others  in  France,  fay  that  there  never  was 
inch  a  perfon  as  Jefus  Chrift,  and  therefore, 
though  they  may  have  heard  that  there  are  fuch 
books  as  thofe  of  the  New  Teflament,  I  conclude 
that  they  cannot  have  read  them.  Surely  fuch 
ignorance  as  this  does,  not  mark  the  Age  of 
Reafon. 

I  have  more  than  once  obferved  that  the 
difbelief  of  revelation  makes  the  belief  of  the 
being  of  God  of  no  practical  ufe,  and  that  it 
has,  in  France,  led  to  fpeculative  atheifm.  In 
a  tract:  publifhed  at  Paris  in  1793,  intitled  A 
letter  to  a  Senjible  Woman,  is  the  following 
paragraph,  p.  25. 

<f  Theifm  is  an  opinion  refpe<5lable  for  the 
tf  genius,  and  the  virtues,  of  men  who  have 
"  embraced  it"  (referring,  in  a  note  to  Socrates 
and  RoufTeau)  "  no  lefs  than  for  the  advantage 
"  which  this  firft  Hep  towards  reafon,  on 
"  abandoning  the  prejudices  of  infancy,  has 
"  been  of  to  mankind.  But,  after  all,  it  is 
"  but  a  firft  ftep,  and  no  perfons  would  flop 
"  there,  if  they  would  frankly  give  way  to  the 

"  impulfe 


THE   PREFACE.  xiii 

"  impulfe  they  have  received.  No  perfon  remains 
"  in  this  intermediate  fyftem  but  through  want 
"  of  reflection,  timidity,  paffion,  or  obftinacy. 
"  Time,  experience,  and  an  impartial  examina- 
"  tion  of  our  ideas,  will  undeceive  us.  Voltaire, 
<f  who  was  long  the  apoftle  of  theifm,  profefTed 
<c  to  doubt  towards  the  clofe  of  his  life,  and 
"  repented  that  he  had  been  too  confident. 
ft  Many  others  have  experienced  the  fame." 

If,  then,  any  perfon  be  in  a  ftate  of  mind 
in  which  he  is  fhocked  at  the  idea  of  abfolute 
atbeifm,  let  him  paufe  before  he  abandon  revela 
tion,  and  give  way  to  what  this  writer  calls  the 
jirft  impulfe.  But  on  no  account  let  any  obftruc- 
tion  be  laid  in  the  way  of  free  enquiry.  With 
the  apoftle  (i  TheiT  v.  2.)  let  us  prove  all  things, 
and  holdfafl  only  that  which  fhall  appear  to  be 
good. 

I  might  have  given  a  curious  counterpart  to 
the  hypothefes  of  the  antient  philofophers  in 
thofe  of  the  moft  diftinguifhed  of  the  modern 
unbelievers.  For  many  of  their  opinions  con 
cerning  the  origin  of  the  univerfe,  its  fubfequent 
revolutions,  and  other  fubjecls  connected  with 
religion  and  morals,  are  not  lefs  wild,  incoherent, 
and  abfurd;  as  every  theory  muft  be  that  excludes 
the  belief  of  a  God,  and  a  fu  per  in  tending  pro 
vidence.  This  undertaking,  however,  has  been 
executed  with  equal  truth  and  ability  in  a  French 

work 


xiv  THE    PREFACE. 

work,  entitled  Les  Helviennes,  ou  Lettres  Provin- 
dales  Pbilofopbiques,  in  five  volumes,  12  mo. 
1784.  They  are  called  Provincial  Letters  in 
imitation  of  thofe  of  that  title  by  the  famous 
Pafcal,  in  which  he  expofed  the  abfurdities  of 
the  principles  of  the  Jefuits,  a  work  of  genuine 
humour,  to  which  this  is,  in  many  refpe&s,  not 
inferior.  It  is  therefore  adapted  to  afford  equal 
entertainment  and  inftruction. 

From  this  excellent  work  it  will  be  evident 
that  the  rejection  of  revealed  religion  will  be  at 
tended  with  all  that  diflblutenefs  of  morals  for 
which  the  antient  heathens  were  remarkable, 
there  being  no  vice  for  which  fome  of  the  moft 
eminent  of  modern  philoibphical  unbelievers 
have  not  been  advocates ;  and  therefore  that,  in 
an  advanced  ftate  of  fociety,  human  reafon  has 
never  proved  a  fufficient  barrier  againft  vice.  It 
will  alfo  be  evident  that  a  propenlity  to  the 
unreftrained  indulgence  of  all  the  paffions  has 
been  the  principal  caufe  of  the  prevaling  difpofi- 
tion  to  throw  off  the  falutary  reftraints  of  reli 
gion. 

Not  only  are  the  great  Chriftian  virtues  of 
humility,  the  forgivenefs  of  injuries,  and  the 
loving  of  enemies,  excluded  from  the  clafs  of 
virtues,  and  a  fpirit  of  pride  and  revenge  en 
couraged  ;  not  only  is  all  virtue  reduced  to  mere 
the  great  end  of  human  life  reprefented 

to 


THE    PREFACE.  xv 

to  be  the  purfuit  of  pleafure  in  the  loweft  fenfe 
of  the  word.,  and  fuicide  recommended  when 
this  object  is  no  longer  attainable  ;  but  the  very 
barrier  between  men  and  brutes  has  been  thrown 
down  by  many  eminent  unbelievers. 

All  the  antient  legiflators  even  among  the 
heathens,  confidered  the  laws  of  marriage  as  the 
firft  ftep  towards  civilization,and  the  conjugal  and 
parental  relations  as,  what  no  doubt  they  are, 
the  chief  fource  of  the  fweets  of  focial  life.  But 
many  modern  unbelievers  openly  plead  not  only 
for  an  unbounded  liberty  of  divorce,  but  a  com- 
munity  of  women,  and  make  very  light  of  the 
vices  moft  contrary  to  nature.  What  is  this  but  re 
ducing  men  even  lower  than  the  ftate  of  brutes? 
And  what  can  we  expecl  from  the  natural  opera 
tion  of  thefe  principles,  but  the  prevalence  of 
thofe  vices,  which  the  apoftle  in  his  fecond  epif- 
tle  to  Timothy  enumerates  as  a  fymptom  of  the 
approach  of  the  lajl  times,  which  are  el fe where 
defcribed  as  exceedingly  calamitous,  2  Tim.  iii. 
I.  This  know,  that  in  the  lajt  days  perilous  times 
Jhall  come.  For  men  Jhall  be  lovers  of  their  own 
felves,  &c.  The  apoftle  Peter  alfo  fays,  2  Pet. 
iii.  3.  Knowing  this  that  there  Jhall  come  in  the  laft 
days  Jcoffers,  walking  after  their  own  lufts,  and 
faying  y  Where  is  the  promife  of  his  coming,  &c. 
Reflecting  on  thefe  things,  we  may  well  fay 
with  the  evangelifts,  after  they  had  related  our 

.  Saviour's 


xvi  THE    PREFACE 

Saviour's  predi&ions  concerning  the  deftrucYion 
of  Jerufalem,  and  the  various  ligns  of  its 
approach,  Let  him  that  readeth,  understand, 
Math.  xxiv.  15.  Mark  xiii.  14. 

Unbelievers  often  complain  of  the  difference 
of  opinion  among  Chriftians,  but  their  own 
opinions,  even  on  the  fubjecT:  of  chriftianity  are 
as  various.  The  celebrated  Mr.  D'Alembert,  in 
his  Letters  to  the  late  king  of  PruJJia  (CEuvres 
Pofthumes,  torn.  14.  p.  105.)  fays,  "  It  appears 
"  evident  to  me,  as  it  does  to  your  majefty,  that 
(f  chriftianity  in  its  origin  was  nothing  but  pure 
"  deifm,  that  Jefus  thrift,  the  author  of  it, 
"  was  only  a  kind  of  philofopher,  the  enemy  of 
"  fuperftition,  of  perfecution,  and  of  priefts  5 
<c  who  preached  benevolence  and  juftice,  and 
"  reduced  the  whole  law  to  the  love  of  our 
<e  neighbour,  and  the  worfhip  of  God  in  fpirit 
"  and  in  truth,  and  that  afterwards,  St.  Paul, 
"  then  the  fathers  of  the  church,  and  laftly  the 
<f  councils,  unhappily  fupportedby  the  fovereigns, 
"  changed  this  religion.  I  therefore  think  it  would 
"  be  doing  great  fervice  to  mankind  to  reduce 
"  chriftianity  to  its  primitive  ftate,  confining  it 
"  to  preaching  to  the  people  the  doftrine  of  a 
f(  God  rewarding  virtue,  and  punifhing  vice, 
fc  who  abhors  fuperftition,  detefts  intolerance, 
"  and  who  requires  of  men  no  other  worfhip 
(( than  that  of  loving  and  affifting  one  another/' 

The 


THE      PREFACE.  xvii 

The  fcheme  of  reducing  chriftianity  to  its 
primitive  ftate,  is,  no  doubt,  excellent,  and  this 
writer's  idea  of  that  ftate  is  not  far  from  the 
truth.  But  his  allertion  that  Jefus  Chrift 
taught  pure  deijm,  is  altogether  unfounded, 
If  there  be  any  truth  in  his  hiftory,  he  taught 
the  doctrine  of  a  refurreffiion,  and  fupported  it 
by  miracles1,  andPaui  wasfartrom  making  any  ad 
dition  to  the  doctrine  of  his  malter.  He  had  too 
many  enemies  among  chriftians  to  have  had  that 
in  his  power.  How  chriftianity  was  corrupted 
afterwards  is  well  known,  and  I  have  (hewn  the 
progrefs  of  it  in  my  Hiftory  of  the  Corruptions  of 
Christianity. 

Since  the  writing  of  this  Preface,  I  have  been 
favoured  with  a  fight  of  the  third  volume  of 
<  Afiatic  Antiquities,'  a  work  which  promifes  to 
throw  great  light  on  the  mythology,  and  early 
hiftory,  of  feveral  undent  nations  ;  and  one  pat- 
fage  in  it,  containing  a  quotation  from  an  antient 
Hindoo  writer,  perhaps  nearly  as  old  as  Mofes, 
is  fo  curious  in  itfelf,  and  fuch  a  confirmation  of 
one  part  of  his  hiftory,  that  I  am  perfuaded  my 
readers  will  be  pleafed  with  the  communication 
of  it.  The  work  is  in  titled  Padma-puran,  and 
the  tranflation  of  it  is  by  Sir  William  Jones. 
Though  the  narrative  is  in  fubftance  the  fame 
with  that  of  Mofes,  they  differ  in  fo  many  cir- 
ftances,  that  it  is  evident  the  writers  did  not 
copy  from  one  another. 

b 


xviii  THE     PREFACE, 

ft  To  Satyavarman,  that  fovereign  of  the 
*f  whole  earth,  were  born  three  fons,  the  eldeft 
"  Sherma,  then  Charma*,  and  thirdly  Jyapeti 
' '  by  name.  They  were  all  men  of  good  morals, 
<(  excellent  in  virtue,  and  virtuous  deeds,  fkilled 
"  in  the  ufe  of  weapons,  to  firike  with,  or  to  be 
"  thrown,  brave  men,  eager  for  victory  in  bat- 
"  tie.  But  Satyavarman  being  continually  de- 
ts  lighted  with  devout  meditation,  and  feeing  his 
(f  fons  fit  for  dominion,  laid  upon  them  the  bur- 
ef  den  of  government. 

"  Whilft  he  remained  honouring  and  fatisfy- 
€f  ing  the  gods,  and  priefts,  and  kine  ;  one  day, 
<c  by  the  act  of  deftiny,  the  king,  having  drank 
((  mead,  became  fenfelefs,  and  lay  afleep  naked. 
"  Then  was  he  feen  by  Charma,  and  by  him 
"  were  his  two  brothers  called.  To  whom  he 
"  faid,  "  What  now  has  befallen.  In  what 
(<  ftate  is  this  our  fire  ?  By  thofe  two  was  he 
t(  hidden  with  clothes,  and  called  to  his  fenfes 
"  again  and  again. 

"  Having  recovered  his  intellect,  and  perfect  - 
<<  ly  knowing  what  had  pafled,  he  curfed  Char- 
ft  ma,  faying,  Thou  fhalt  be  the  fervant  of 
"  fervants,  And  fince  thou  waft  a  laughter  in 
"  their  prefence,  from  laughter  fhalt  thou  acquire 
"  a  name.  Then  he  gave  to  Sharma  the  wide 

"  domain 

*  Colonel  Wilford  obferves,  that  in  the  vulgar  dialefts 
Charma  is  ufually  pronounced  Cham,  and  Sharma,  Sham. 


THE    PREFACE.  xix 

"  domain  on  the  fouth  of  the  fnowy  mountain. 
"  And  to  Jyapeti  he  gave  all  on  the  north  of  rhe 
«  fnowy  mountain  ;  but  he,  by  the  power  of 
"  religious  contemplation,  attained  fupreme 
"  blifs." 

Sir  William  Jones  had  before  advanced  a  con 
jecture  that  the  Afghans  might  be  of  Hebrew  ex 
traction,  and  part  of  the  ten  tribes  that  were 
carried  into  captivity  by  the  Aflyrians.  In  his 
'  Anniverfary  difcourfe/  prefixed  to  this  volume, 
he  fays,  p.  6.  "  There  is  folid  ground  for  be- 
"  lieving  that  the  Afghans  are  defcended  from  the 
ff  Jews,  becaufe  they  fometimes  in  confidence 
"  avow  that  unpopular  origin,  which  in  general 
t(  they  feduloufly  conceal,  and  which  other  muf- 
"  felmen  perpetually  aflert ;  becaufe  Hazard, 
<<  which  appears  to  be  the  Aferetb  of  Efdras,  is 
"  one  of  their  territories,  and  principally  be- 
"  caufe  their  language  is  evidently  a  dialect  of 
"  the  fcriptural  Chaldaic." 

Laftly,  after  reciting  the  unfavourable  cha- 
rafter  given  of  the  Jews  by  their  enemies,  and 
acceding  to  it,  for  which  I  am  far  from  feeing 
fufficient  reafon,  he  fays,  p.  15,  <f  They  had 
"  the  peculiar  merit,  among  all  the  races  of  men 
"  under  heaven,  of  preferving  a  rational  and 
<f  pure  fyftem  of  devotion,  in  the  midft  of  a  wild 
{C  polytheifm,  inhuman  or  obfcene  rites,  and  a 
"  dark  labyrinth  of  errors,  produced  by  igno- 
"  ranee,  and  fupported  by  interefted  fraud. 
"  Theological  inquries,"  he  adds,  fc  are  no  part 

"  of 


xx  THEPREFACE- 

((  of  my  prefent  fubjecl:,  but  I  cannot  refrain 
f(  from  adding,  that  the  collection  of  traces  which 
"  from  their  excellence,  we  call  the  fcriptures, 
"  contain,  independently  of  a  divine  origin, 
(f  more  true  fublimity,  more  exquifite  beauty, 
"  purer  morality,  more  important  hiftory,  and 
"  finer  ftrains  both  of  poetry  and  eloquence, 
€f  than  could  be  collected  within  the  fame  com- 
"  pafs  from  all  other  books  that  were  ever  com- 
t(  pofed  in  any  age,  or  in  any  idiom.  The  two 
f(  parts  of  which  the  icriptures  confift,  are  con- 
"  necled  by  a  chain  of  compofi'tions"  (meaning 
the  prophetical  books)  "  which  bear  no  refem- 
*(  blance  in  form  or  ilyle  to  any  that  can  be 
"  produced  from  the  ftores  of  Grecian,  Indian, 
((  Perfian,  or  even  Arabian,  learning.  1  he 
"  antiquity  of  thefe  compofitions  no  man  doubts, 
"  and  the  unftrained  application  of  them  to 
f(  events  long  fubfequent  to  their  publication,  is 
tf  a  folid  ground  of  belief,  that  they  were  genuine 
"  productions,  and  confequently  infpired." 

When  I  compare  the  decided  opinion  of  fuch 
a  man  as  Sir  William  Jones,  in  which  all  men 
of  learning  will  concur,  with  the  confident  af- 
fertions  of  Mr.  Paine,  who  fays  that  the  books  of 
fcripture  are  but  modern  compofitions,  I  think 
of  a  man  either  really  blind,  orwillfully  (hut 
ting  his  eyes,  and  declaring  that  Here  ts  nothing 
to  befeen 


CONTENTS. 

DISCOURSE.  PAGE. 

I.  The  Importance  of  Religion  1 

II.  Of  the  fuperior  Value  of  Revealed  Religion  27 

III.  A  View  of  Heathen  Worjhip  56 

IV.  The  fame  continued  86 

V.  The  excellence  of  the  Mofaic  Inftitutions  114 

VI.  The  fame  continued  145 

VII.  The  Principles  of  the  Heathen  Philo- 

fophy  compared  -with  thofe  of  Re 
velation  176 

VIII.  The  fame  continued             -             -  201 

XI.  The  evidence  of  the  Mofaic  and  Chrif- 

tian  Religions             -'           -  237 

X.  The  fame  continued                           -  269 

XI.  The  Proof  of  Revealed  Religion  from 

Prophecy  313 

XII.  Internal  Evidence  of  Jefus  being  no 

Impoflor  356 

XIII.  The  moral  Influence  of  Chriftian 

Principles                          -         -  395 


ERRATA. 


N.  B.  (b)  fignifies  from  the  bottom 

of  the  page. 

Page   41, 

line  2, 

for  «»,             read  our 

7, 

wherever, 

whenever 

ci9 

a  million, 

two  millions 

IOI, 

i  (b) 

made 

made  it 

105, 

7  (b) 

aft, 

art 

138, 

14 

hear, 

bear 

9  (b) 

thofe, 

thefe 

182' 

13, 

not, 

not  that 

1  86, 

13, 

Democrates, 

Democritm 

232, 

10, 

fa; 

and  for 

2  (b) 

cannot, 

could  not 

267, 

2  (b) 

for 

to 

271, 

2, 

Jhall 

Jhall  now 

281, 

i  (b) 

chargeable, 

charged 

301,» 

7» 

an, 

the  be/I 

that, 

that  though 

326, 

i  (b) 

Jerufalem, 

Jeroboam 

359, 

5, 

is, 

his 

363» 

U  (b) 

erefted, 

erefl 

57°, 

n, 

lewdejt, 

loweft 

402, 

3? 

good, 

goods 

VIEW 

OF    THE 

EVIDENCES  OF  REVEALED  RELIGION. 

DISCOURSE  I. 

The  Importance  of  Religion. 

The  fear  of  the  Lord  is  the  beginning  of  wifdom ;  but 
fools  hate  knowledge  and  inftru&ion. 

PROVERBS,  i.  7. 

15  Y  the  fear  of  God  we  may  very  well 
underftand  religion  in  general,  and  there 
can  be  no  doubt  but  that  by  religion  Solo 
mon  meant  fuch  principles  of  it  as  he  held 
to  be  the  beft  founded,  or  the  revelation 
by  Mofes.  And  as  I  propofe,  in  a  feries  of 
difcourfes,  to  give  a  view  of  the  evidences 
of  revealed  religion,  I  fhall  in  this  Ihow 
that  the  fubjecl  is  of  importance,  that  the 
knowledge  we  receive  by  means  of  it  is  of 

B  real 


a  EVIDENCES    OF 

real  value,  tending  to  exalt  the  character, 
and  add  to  the  happinefs  of  man.  Indeed 
if  this  be  not  the  ufe  of  religion,  it  would 
not  be  worth  our  while  to  make  any  en 
quiry  into  its  evidences;  becaufe  on  that 
fuppofition,  true  or  falfe,  it  would  be  an 
ufelefs  and  infignificant  thing.  The  quef- 
tion  is  the  more  deferving  of  an  attentive 
confideration,  as  many,  I  imagine,  moft, 
unbelievers,  maintain  that  religion  is  not 
merely  an  ufelefs,  but  a  hurtful  thing,  de- 
bafing  the  mind  of  man,  and  adding  to  the 
miferies  of  his  exiftence,  fo  that  it  is  ren 
dering  him  an  eflential  fervice  to  free  his 
mind  from  it. 

Now,  what  is  it  that  the  friends  of 
religion,  fay  is  fo  beneficial,  and  its  adver- 
faries  fo  mifchievous,  to  man?  The  prin 
ciples  of  religion  are  acknowledged  to 
confift  in  the  belief  of  the  being,  the  per 
fections,  and  providence  of  God  here,  and 
of  a  future  ftate  of  retribution  hereafter. 
The  man  who  believes  thefe  things  is  faid 
to  have  religion,  and  the  man  who'dif- 
believes  them,  who  thinks  that  there  is  no 

God, 


REVEALED     RELIGION.  3 

God,  no  providence,  or  no  future  ftate, 
whatever  he  be  in  other  refpects,  whether 
he  be  virtuous  or  vicious,  cannot  be  faid  to 
have  any  religion,  properly  fo  called.  Let 
us,  then,  confider  the  nature  of  thefe 
principles,  and  what  effect  they  muft  have 
on  thofe  who  ferioufly  believe  them.  That 
principles,  or  opinions,  of  fome  kind  or 
other,  have  real  influence  on  the  general 
character,  and  on  the  conduct  and  happi- 
nefs  of  human  life,  cannot  be  denied.  Man 
is  a  thinking  being.  All  his  actions  proceed 
from  fome  thought  or  defign,  and  his  ac 
tions  and  conduct  are  certainly  of  impor 
tance,  iffuing  in  a  better  or  worfe  ftate  of 
his  circumftances.  If  the  maxims  he  acts 
upon,  and  the  objects  of  his  purfuit,  be  juft, 
and  if  his  meafures  be  well  laid,  he  im 
proves  his  condition;  whereas  if  his  max 
ims  of  conduct  be  falfe  and  fallacious,  if 
the  objects  of  his  purfuit  be  unworthy  of 
him,  or  his  conduct  be  ill  directed,  he  muft 
expect  to  fuffer  in  confequence. 

It  alfo  cannot  be  denied  that  what  is 

called  virtue,    or  the  right  government  of 

B  2  the 


4  EVIDENCES    OF 

the  paffions,  adds  to  the  dignity  of  man, 
and  to  the  happinefs  both  of  individuals 
and  of  fociety ;  and  religion  certainly  comefe 
in  aid  of  virtue.  The  man  who  follows 
the  dictates  of  paffion,  and  prefent  inclina 
tion,  without  reflecling  on  the  tendency 
and  iffue  of  his  conduct,  is  fure  to  involve 
himfelf  in  difficulties.  The  unreftrained 
indulgence  of  the  natural  appetites,  both 
fhortens  life,  by  introducing  difeafes  and 
premature  death,  and  makes  a  fhort  life 
miferable;  whereas  moderation  and  difcre- 
tion  is  the  fource  of  the  trueft  and  mofl 
lafting  enjoyment.  Manhood  conducted 
by  mere  paffion  and  inclination,  without 
forefight  of  confequences,  is  only  a  pro- 
tracled  childhood ;  and  what  father  is  there 
who  thinks  it  wife  to  indulge  a  child  in  all 
its  varying  humours.  It  would  foon  de- 
ftroy  itfelf.  And  equally  deftructive  and 
ruinous  would  be  the  conduct  of  a  man  who 
fhould  make  no  more  ufe  of  his  reafon, 
but  prefer  his  prefent  gratification  to  fu 
ture  good,  which  is  the  general  defcription 
of  vice. 

Could 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  5 

Could  the  moft  intemperate  of  men 
have  a  clear  forefight  of  all  the  diforders 
and  wretchednefs  that  will  be  the  fure,  or 
very  probable,  confequence  of  his  conduct, 
with  reipecT:  to  his  health  and  life,  and  alfo 
of  the  poverty  and  contempt  which  gene 
rally  attends  that  mode  of  life,  whatever 
might  be  his  fondnefs  for  any  fpecies  of 
fenfual  indulgence,  he  would  certainly  re- 
ftrain  himfelf.  Alfo,  how  greedy  foever 
any  perfon  might  be  of  riches,  could  he 
forefee  all  the  anxiety,  and  rilk,  attending 
a  courfe  of  fraudulent  practices,  and  the 
little  enjoyment  men  have  of  difhoneft 
gain,  he  would  be  content  to  be  lefs  rich 
and  more  happy.  The  ambition  of  Alex 
ander,  of  Caefar,  or  of  Charles  the 
twelfth  of  Sweden,  would  have  been 
reftrained,  if  they  could  have  feen  the 
whole  progrefs  and  termination  of  their 
fchemes. 

i.  Now  religion,  both  extends  the 
forefight  of  man,  and  puts  him  under  the 
direction  of  a  being  whofe  forefight  is 
greater  than  that  of  any  man.  When  a 

man 


6  EVIDENCES     OF 

man  lofes  his  natural  parent,  and  guide, 
religion  fupplies  him  with  another,  fupe- 
rior  in  all  refpects  to  the  former.  By  re 
ligion  he  puts  himfelf  under  the  direction 
of  the  Supreme  Being,  his  true  parent 
and  beft  friend,  on  whofe  wifdom  he  may 
always  rely,  and  in  whofe  guidance  he  is 
fure  to  find  happinefs.  Any  rule  of  life 
and  conduct  drawn  up  by  men  like  our- 
felves  may  be  erroneous,  being  founded 
on  imperfect  views  of  things.  The  beft 
parent  may  err  in  the  management  of 
his  favourite  child,  whofe  welfare  he  has 
moft  at  heart.  But  the  great  Being  who 
made  man  can  never  err.  The  obfervance 
of  his  precepts  muft  lead  to  happinefs;  and 
the  full  perfuafion  of  this,  which  religion 
cannot  fail  to  give  us,  puts  an  end  to  all 
doubt  and  uncertainty  about  what  we 
ought  to  do,  fuperfeding  our  own  judg 
ment,  and  filencing  all  the  evafions  of 
paffion  and  prejudice.  And  this  alone  is 
a  circumftance  of  unfpeakable  advantage. 
A  perfon  bent  upon  any  particular 
gratification,  however  criminal,  will  make 

a  thoufand 


REVEALED     RELIGION.  J 

a  thoufand  apologies  for  the  innocence, 
and  perhaps  the  public  utility,  of  it,  which 
his  own  reafon,  biaffed,  of  courfe,  by  in 
clination,  might  never  be  able  to  fee  the 
fallacy  of;  which  however  the  authority 
of  an  acknowledged  mafter  will  filence  at 
once.  What  has  not  the  ingenuity  of  liber 
tines  pleaded  in  favour  not  only  of  forni 
cation,  but  even  of  adultery;  and  by  what 
fpecious  names  have  thofe  grofs  offences 
againft  the  order,  the  decency,  and  peace 
of  fociety  been  not  only  covered  from  ig 
nominy,  but  even  recommended,  as  indi 
cations  of  a  man's  fpirit,  as  a  fource  of 
real  pleafure  to  fome,  and  only  an  imagi 
nary  injury  to  others?  How  many  perfons 
have  actually  made  their  boaft  of  actions 
of  other  kinds  for  which  they  deferved  to 
be  baniihed  from  all  civilized  fociety  ?  How 
has  murder  itfelf,  in  the  form  of  a  duel, 
and  in  fome  countries  in  that  of  private 
aflaflination,  been  more  than  juftified, 
from  falfe  notions  of  honour,  the  fuppofed 
dignity'  of  revenge,  and  the  meannefs  of 
fubmitting  to  infults  and  wrongs? 

We 


8  EVIDENCES     OF 

We  fee  that  men  who  have  no  belief 
in  religion,  actually  commit  thefe  crimes, 
and  indeed  any  other,  without  remorfe. 
But  this  can  never  be  the  cafe  where  there 
is  a  principle  of  religion,  where  it  is  really 
believed  that  the  authority  of  the  Supreme 
Being  has  interpofed,  and  exprefsly,  as  by 
a  voice  from  heaven,  abfolutely  forbidden 
the  practices  above  mentioned,  how  inge- 
nioufly  foever  apologized  for;  faying  to 
man,  Thou  fhalt  not  commit  murder,  thou  fhalt 
not  commit  adultery,  thou  /halt  not  fled, 
<&c.  <&c. 

2.  Many  perfons,  influenced  by  regard 
to  their  reputation,  will  refrain  with  fuf- 
ficient  care  from  fuch  actions  as  they  know 
would  difhonour  them  in  the  opinion  of 
their  fellow  creatures ;  but  without  a  fenfe 
of  religion  they  would  feel  little  or  no  re- 
morfe  in  committing  any  crime  with  relpeft 
to  which  they  had  no  fufpicion  of  being 
detefted  and  expofed.  Religion  is  a 
guard  againft  even  fecret  vices.  The  be 
lief  that  nothing  is  concealed  from  the 
eye  of  God,  that  he  fees  what  man  cannot 

fee, 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  9 

fee,  difcerning  even  the  thoughts  and  in 
clinations  of  the  heart,  will  make  a  man 
as  careful  not  to  offend  in  private  as  in 
public.  When  the  eye  of  man  is  not  upon 
him,  he  well  knows  there  is  an  eye  that 
always  fees  him,  and  that  though  he  might 
efcape  the  cenfure  of  man,  he  has  no 
means  of  efcaping  the  righteous  judgment 
of  God. 

Not  only  public  cenfure,  but  other 
punifhments,  often  fail  to  be  inflicted  on 
the  guilty  in  this  world.  A  man,  there 
fore,  who  has  no  belief  in  another,  may 
be  tempted  to  rifk  a  great  deal  with  a 
reafonable  profpect  of  impunity.  For  of 
the  many  crimes  that  are  committed  in 
human  fociety,  only  a  few  are  actually 
punifhed.  But  this  avails  nothing  $o  a 
believer  in  religion,  and  a  future  ftate. 
He  knows  that  there  is  a  day  coming  in 
which  God  will  judge  the  world  in  right- 
eoufnefs,  and  that  no  vice,  though  unde 
tected,  and  unpunifhed,  here,  will  efcape 
animadverfion  and  punifhment  hereafter. 

c  Many 


io  EVIDENCES    OF 

Many  offenders  efcape  punifhment  in 
this  world  by  means  of  their  power,   as 
well   as  their  addrefs.      The  rich  and  the 
great  have,  in  too  many  cafes,  little  to  fear 
from  the  mofl  flagrant  violations  of  juftice 
with  refpect  to  the  poor,  who  are  without 
money  and  without  friends ;   and  the  kings 
and  tyrants  of  the  earth,   to  gratify  their 
revenge,    their  luft  of  power,    or    mere 
caprice,   ravage  whole  nations,  and  intro 
duce  an  incalculable  mafs  of  mifery  among 
their  fellow-creatures,    without  the  mod 
diftant  apprehenfions  of  fuffering  in  their 
own  perfons  in  confequence  of  it.     But  all 
this  ends  with  the  prefent  fcene.      In  the 
future   the  greateft  monarchs  will  appear 
on  a  footing  with  the  meaneft  of  rational 
beings.      No  wealth  or  power  will  be  of 
any  avail    then,    and   the    knowledge    of 
this  may  well  be  fuppofed  to  reftrain  men 
from   thofe    violences   and   oppreffions   of 
which  they  now  are  the  authors.      Thus 
is  religion  a  powerful  auxiliary  of  virtue, 
and  thereby  contributes  to  the  good  order 
and  peace   of  fociety,    as  well  as  to  the 

regulation 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  n 

regulation    of    the    private   paffions,    and 
the  happinefs  of  individuals. 

3.  Religion  is  of  no  lefs  ufe  with  re- 
fpecT:  to  the  troubles  of  life,  than  the  du 
ties  of  it.  That,  with  a  great  prepond 
erance  of  happinefs  (which  fufficiently 
proves  the  goodnefs  of  God)  there  is  a 
considerable  mixture  of  mifery  in  the 
world,  is  what  no  perfon  who  is  at  all  ac 
quainted  with  it,  will  deny.  We  need 
not  adopt  the  melancholy  defpairing  lan 
guage  of  Job,  and  fay,  Man  that  is  born  of 
a  -woman  is  of  few  days  and  full  of  trouble, 
or  that  be  is  born  to  trouble  as  the  Jparks  fly 
upwards;  for  this  gives  an  idea  of  a  pre 
ponderance  of  mifery,  as  the  proper  and 
intended  lot  of  man.  But  certainly  there 
is  in  the  world  ficknefs  as  well  as  health, 
pain  as  well  as  pleafure,  and  on  many  ac 
counts  grief  as  well  as  joy.  Induftry  is 
not  always  fuccefsful,  marriages  are  not 
always  happy,  children  are  not  always 
a  bleffing  to  their  parents,  and  other 
connections  in  life,  which  are  generally 
fources  of  pleafure,  are  not  always  fo. 

There 


i*  EVIDENCES    OF 

There  are  alfo  many  evils  againft  which  no 
human  prudence  can  guard  us,  as  famine 
from  inclement  feafons,  and  peftilential 
diforders,  which  we  are  as  yet  unable  to 
inveftigate,  or  prevent.  All  countries  are 
more  or  lefs  fubjecl;  to  hurricanes,  tem- 
pefts,  and  earthquakes;  and  the  happieft 
and  longeft  life  muft  terminate  in  death. 
It  is  in  vain  to  fay,  with  the  Stoics,  that 
what  we  fuffer  by  thefe  means  are  no 
evils,  or  that  we  do  not  feel  them. 

But  when  nature  abandons  us  to  grief 
and  delpair,  religion  fteps  in  to  our  confo- 
lation,  afluring  us,  that  nothing  can  befal 
us,  or  others,  without  the  will  and  ap 
pointment  of  God,  our  heavenly  Father, 
and  that  whatever  he  wills  is  always 
wifeft  and  beft,  whether,  at  the  time,  we 
can  fee  it  to  be  fo  or  not.  As  the  Pfalmift 
fays,  though  clouds  and  darknejs  are  round  about 
him,  right eoufnejs  and  judgment  are  the  habi 
tation  of  his  throne.  Religion  affures  us 
that,  if  by  means  of  the  evils  of  life, 
God  chaftifes  us,  it  is  with  the  affection 
of  a  parent,  and  always  for  our  good. 

We 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  13 

We  can  then  fay,  with  the  apoftle,  that 
•all  things  -will  be  made  to  ivork  together  for 
good  to  them  that  love  God,  that,  in  this 
cafe,  life  or  death,  things  profperoits,  or  things 
adverfe,  are  equally  ours,  and  will  termi 
nate  in  our  advantage.  With  this  per- 
fuafion  we  may  bear  all  the  evils  of  life, 
numerous  and  heavy  as  they  fometimes 
are,  not  only  with  patience  and  refigna- 
tion,  but  even  with  fatisfa&ion  and  plea- 
fure,  rejoicing,  as  the  apoftles  did,  in  all 
kinds  of  tribulation. 

4.  But  religion  is  found  to  be  of  the 
greateft  value  at  the  clofe  of  life,  opening 
to  us  a  better  profpeft  than  that  on  which 
we  then  fhut  our  eyes.  Without  religion 
all  that  the  greateft  philofopher  can  pre 
tend  to  is  that  he  has  had  enough  of  life, 
and  that  he  obeys  the  call  of  nature  without 
reluftance.  But  even  this,  if  he  has  really 
enjoyed  life,  is  more  than  he  can  fay  with 
truth.  If  he  has  enjoyed  life,  it  muft  be 
fweet  to  him,  and  confequently  he  cannot 
but  wifh  to  prolong  or  refume  it.  A  good 

man 


i4  EVIDENCES     OF 

man  may,  in  one  fenfe,  have  had  enough 
of  life,  and,  from  the  fatigues  and  unifor 
mity  of  it,  be  as  it  were  weary  of  it;  but 
it  is  only  fuch  wearinefs  as  is  felt  at  the 
clofe  of  an  aftive  well  fpent  day,  when  we 
wifh  for  reft,  but  with  the  hope  of  riling 
with  renewed  vigour  and  activity,  and 
with  the  profpeft  of  greater  enjoyment, 
in  the  morning.  That  morning  to  a 
chriftiaii  is  the  refurre&ion  to  a  new  and 
better  life.  Of  this  nature  gives  us  no 
hope ;  but  religion  the  greateft  certainty. 

According  to  the  principles  of  reli 
gion,  this  world  is  only  the  infancy  of  our 
being.  This  life  is  only  a  fchool,  in  which 
we  are  training  up  for  a  better  and  im 
mortal  life,  and  all  the  events  and  difci- 
pline  of  it  are  calculated  to  prepare  us 
for  entering  with  advantage  upon  it;  fo 
that  a  good  man,  with  the  faith  and  hope 
of  a  chriftiaii,  can  bid  adieu  to  this  world 
not  only  with  tranquility,  but  with  fatif- 
faftion  and  triumph;  finging  the  triumph 
ant  fong,  0  death  -where  is  thy  fting,  0  grave 
•where  is  thy  vi&ory. 

When 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  15 

When  chriftians  lofe  their  friends  and 
relations  by  death,  they  do  not  grieve  as 
the  heathen  who  have  no  hope;  but  com 
mit  them  with  confidence  to  the  hands  of 
their  merciful  creator,  whofe  views  in  cal 
ling  them  into  being  were  not  confined  to 
this  prefent  life.  He  believes  that  this  his 
feparation  from  his  virtuous  friends  is  but 
for  a  time,  and  a  fliort  time,  and  he  has 
no  doubt  of  meeting  them  again,  and  in 
more  favourable  circumftances  for  enjoy  ing 
their  fociety  than  ever.  There  the  affec 
tionate  parent  will  meet  his  beloved  child 
ren,  and  children  their  parents,  not  worn 
down  by  affiiclion,  difeafe,  or  hard  la 
bour,  incapable  of  enjoyment,  which  is 
often  the  cafe  in  this  world,  but  with  all 
their  faculties  in  full  vigour,  and  fuperior 
to  what  ever  they  where  before;  every 
thing  valuable  and  amiable  in  them  im 
proved,  and  their  imperfections  done 
away ;  fo  that  their  fociety,  which  we 
fhall  never  lofe  again,  will  be  more  de- 
firable  than  ever.  Compared  with  this 
folid  ground  of  confclation  under  the  trou 
bles 


16  EVIDENCES     OF 

bles  of  life,  and  the  fears  of  death,  what 
has  mere  reafon  or  philofophy  to  offer? 

5.  And  it  is  a  particular  recommen 
dation  of  religion,  that  both  its  teachings 
and  confolations  require  no  acutenefs  of 
intellect.  They  are  level  to  the  under- 
flandings  of  all  men.  As  to  the  precepts 
of  religion,  they  are  thus  fummed  up  by 
the  prophet,  What  doth  the  Lord  thy  God 
require  of  thee,  but  to  do  juftice,  to  love  mercy  , 
and  to  ivalk  humbly  with  thy  God.  In  this 
fhort  compafs  are  comprized  all  the  great 
duties  of  religion,  and  furely  nothing  can 
be  more  intelligible. 

As  to  the  confolations  of  religion,  they 
are  addreffed  to  the  common  feelings  and 
principles  of  human  nature,  fuch  as  men 
aft  upon  every  day.  It  is  the  expectation 
of  diftant  good  as  a  balance  to  prefent 
evil.  Religion  does  not  require  men  to 
give  up  their  eafe,  their  fortunes,  or  their 
lives,  for  nothing;  but  for  a  fufficient  re- 
compence.  Thou  Jloalt  be  recommenced  faid 
our  Saviour,  at  the  refurrettion  of  the  juft. 
All  that  is  requifite  is  a  ftretch  of  thought, 

and 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  17 

and  a  comprehenfion  of  mind,  which  fhall 
enable  men  to  contemplate  a  thing  cer 
tainly  future,  as  if  it  was  prefent :  and  by 
this  means  give  it  its  proper  value  in 
comparifon  with  things  prefent,  which,  in 
confequence  of  being  fo,  are  poflefled  of  an 
undue  advantage  over  them.  But  what 
things  that  are  future  lofe  in  this  refpeft, 
is  balanced  by  their  real  magnitude,  and 
importance.  The  things  that  are  feen,  -fays 
the  apoftle  (2  Cor.  iv.  18)  are  temporal,  but 
the  things  that  are  unfeen  are  eternal.  It  is, 
therefore,  the  more  eafy,  by  a  firm  faith, 
and  a  fleady  contemplation,  to  give  them 
their  juft  degree  of  eftimation,  and  to 
feel  and  aft  properly  with  refpeft  to  them; 
as  thoufands  and  millions  have  actually 
done,  who  have  V  cheerfully  abandoned 
every  thing  in  life,  and  life  itfelf,  when  the 
retaining  of  them  was  incompatible  with 
their  great  profpecls  beyond  the  grave. 

6.  It  is  by  habituating  the  mind  to 
contemplate  great  and  diftant  objects,  that 
religion  enlarges  and  ennobles  the  minds  of 
men,  advancing  them,  farther  beyond  the 

p  ftate 


iS  EVIDENCES     OF 

flate  of  children,  who  are  only  affe&ed 
by  things  immediately  prefent  to  them, 
and  from  the  great  bulk  of  mankind,  who 
do  indeed  look  before  them,  but  not  far. 
They  can  fow  and  plant  one  year  in  hope 
of  a  return  in  the  next,  and  they  can 
expend  their  money  in  the  purchafe  of 
goods  with  a  view  to  fell  them  to  advan 
tage  in  a  future  and  diftant  market.  Alfo, 
when  they  labour  under  any  diforder,  they 
can  take  difgufling  medicines  in  the  hope 
of  a  cure.  But  this  is  far  fhort  of  look 
ing  to  a  world  beyond  the  grave,  laying 
up  treafure  in  heaven,  making  friends  of 
the  mammon  of  unrighteoufnefs  here,  in 
order  to  be  received  into  everlafting  ha 
bitations  hereafter.  This  is  done  by  the 
help  of  religion,  which  by  this  means 
makes  a  man  a  fuperior  kind  of  being  to 
what  he  was  before. 

If  great  thoughts,  as  Lord  Bacon  fays, 
make  great  minds >  how  much  fuperior  muft 
be  that  man  who  is  habitually  employed  in 
the  contemplation  of  God,  of  a  providence, 
and  a  future  flate,  who  fees  the  hand 

of 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  19 

of  God  in  every  thing,  and  receives  all  the 
difpenfations  of  providence  with  a  con 
tented  and  thankful  heart,  whofe  faith  is 
not  fhaken  by  all  the  diftrefs  and  calamity 
of  which  he  is  a  witnefs,  and  all  that  him- 
felf,  his  friends,  his  country,  or  the  world, 
may  fuffer,  and  who  when  he  comes  to 
die  can  look  back  with  fatisfactioh,  and 
forward  with  hope  and  joy,  to  the  man 
who  is  either  wholly  ignorant  of  thefe 
great  principles,  or  an  unbeliever  in  them, 
whofe  views  are  bounded  by  what  he  fees 
in  this  life,  and  who  can  only  fay,  Let  its 
eat  and  drink  for  to-morrow  ive  die.  To  fuel) 
perfons  life  is  indeed  of  little  value.  And 
it  is  no  wonder  that,  under  any  particu 
lar  preffure  of  trouble  or  difappointment, 
they  throw  it  up,  and  put  an  end  to  their 
lives  in  defpair. 

7.     Though   I   have    reprefented   the    \ 
religious  man  as  afting  on  plain  and  intel 
ligible  principles,    and  as  overlooking  pre-     \ 
fent  evils  for  ,the  fake  of  future  good,   it 
by  no  means  follows  that  he  will  be  an 
interefted  character,   and  never  love  virtue 

for 


20  EVIDENCES    OF 

for  its  own  fake.  It  is  by  a  rational  felf 
intereft  that  the  moil  difinter eft ed  characters 
are  formed.  This  admits  of  an  eafy  illuf- 
tration  from  what  we  know  concerning 
the  love  of  money.  The  greateft  mifer 
does  not  begin  with  the  love  of  money  as 
an  ultimate  object,  or  for  its  own  fake,  but 
only  for  the  fake  of  the  advantages  it  can 
procure  him.  And  yet  we  fee  that  it  is  poffi- 
ble,  in  a  courfe  of  time,  for  men  to  come 
to  love  money,  arid  to  employ  all  their 
powers,  and  all  their  time,  in  the  acquifi- 
tion  of  it,  without  giving  the  leaft  atten 
tion  to  the  ufe  of  it,  and  indeed  without 
ever  making  any  proper  ufe  of  it  at  all; 
their  ideas  never  going  beyond  the  mere 
accumulation  of  it.  Let  any  thing  be 
purfued,  though  as  a  means,  and  in  a 
courfe  of  time,  it  will  come  to  be  an  end. 
In  like  manner,  let  a  man  from  any 
principle,  habituate  himfelf  to  refpeft  the 
authority  of  God,  to  do  good  to  others, 
and  practife  virtue  in  general,  though  at 
firft  with  no  other  view  than  to  his  re 
ward  in  a  future  ftate,  and  in  time  he  will 

live 


REVEALED    RELIGION  21 

live  vJrtuoufly,  without  giving  any  atten 
tion  to  his  ultimate  intereft  in  it ;  and  in 
this  progrefs  he  will  neceflarily  become  as 
difintereftedly  virtuous-  as  it  is  pcffible,  in 
the  nature  of  things,  for  a  man  to  be.  He 
may  begin  with  the  mere  fear  of  God,  jor 
a  dread  of  his  difpleafure,  but  at  length  he 
will  be  actuated  by  the  pureft  love,  and  an 
entire  devotednefs  to  his  will,  as  fuch.  He 
may  begin  w  ith  doing  kind  offices  to  others 
from  any  motive  fufficient  to  produce  the 
external  action,  but  at  length  he  will  come 
with  the  apoftle,  to  love  'with  a  pure  bean 
fervently,  taking  the  greateft  pleafure  in 
doing  kind  offices,  without  any  idea,  or 
expectation,  of  a  return.  He  may  at  firft 
abflain  from  fenfual  indulgence  from  a 
perfuafion  of  what  he  may  ultimately  fuf- 
fer  in  confequence  of  it,  but  in  time  he 
will  have  greater  fatisf action  in  modera 
tion  than  he  ever  had  in  excefs,  and  he 
will  readily  and  cheerfully  do  whatever 
he  apprehends  to  be  ng&r,  without  afkingj 
'why.  The  dictates  of  confcience  will  be 
with  him  a  fupreme  rule  of  action. 

This 


22  EVIDENCES     OF 

This  is  that  truly  great  and  fublime 
chara&er  to  which  religion,  and  religion 
alone,  can  raife  a  man.  Without  the 
principles  of  religion,  without  the  fear  of 
God,  which  Solomon  juftiy  calls  the  begin 
ning  of-wifdom,  he  wants  the  firft  neceflfary 
ftep  in  this  progrefs.  There  muft  be  a 
belief  in  the  being  and  providence  of  God, 
and  in  a  life  of  retribution  to  come,  to 
give  a  man  that  comprehenfive  view  of 
things,  which  alone  can  lead  him  to  over 
look  temporary  gratifications,  and  give  him 
that  due  command  of  his  paflions  which 
is  eflential  to  rational  life.  He  muft  firft 
look  beyond  the  things  that  are  feen,  and 
temporal,  to  things  unfeen  and  eternal,  or 
he  might  never  fee  fufficient  reafon  for  the 
practice  of  thofe  virtues  which  do  not 
bring  an  immediate  recompence.  He 
would  never  refpeft  the  authority  of  God, 
unlefs  he  had  a  belief  in  his  being  and 
providence.  Ail  his  works  would  be 
done  to  be  feen  of  men ;  and  if  the 
only  reward  of  virtue  was  in  another 
world,  which  he  believed  to  have  no 

exiftence, 


REVEALED  RELIGION.  23 

exiftence,  he  would  have  no  fufficient  rea- 
fon  to  exercife  it  at  all. 

But  having  this/j/Y/?,  the  foundation  of 
right  conduct,  the  fuperftructure  is  eafily 
raifed  upon  it.  Poflefled  of  this  firft  princi 
ple,  a  feed  is  fown,  which  cannot  fail  in 
time  to  produce  the  noble  and  full  grown 
plant,  the  excellent  character  above  de- 
fcribed.  If  the  mind  be  thoroughly  ini- 
prefled  with  the  fear  of  God,  the  two 
great  principles,  which  comprife  the  whole 
of  the  moral  law,  the  love  of  God,  and 
of  our  neighbour,  will  in  due  time  appear, 
and  produce  all  tkc  fruits  of  right  eoufnefs, 
without  the  leaft  view  to  any  reward 
whatever ;  and  on  this  account  will  be  in- 
titled  to,  and  will  affuredly  find,  the 
greateft.  This  is  to  be  moft  truly  god 
like,  and  the  neceflary  confequence  of  be 
ing  like  God,  of  being  per  fed  (or  approach 
ing  as  near  to  it  as  may  be)  as  God  is.  per 'feel, 
which  our  Saviour  requires  and  encourages 
us  to  be,  muft  be  accompanied  with  a  de 
gree  of  happinefs  approaching  the  divine. 

Such 


24  EVIDENCES  OF 

Such  being  the  obvious  ufe  and  fubftan- 
tial  value  of  religion,   with  refpect  to  the 
conduct  of  life,    the  troubles  we  are  ex- 
pofed  to  in  it,   and  at  the  hour  of  death, 
and  to  form  the  moft  exalted  of  human 
characters,   it  certainly  behoves  us  to  exa 
mine   the  evidence  of  it,    and  to  do  this 
not  fuperficially,   but  with  the  greateft  at 
tention,    as   a  queftion  in  the  decifion  of 
which  we  are  all  moft  deeply  interefted. 
I  may  add  that  a  virtuous  and  good  man 
cannot  but  wifh  that  the  principles  of  reli 
gion  may  appear  to  be  well  founded,  be- 
caufe  it  is  his  intereft  that  they  fhould  be 
fo ;   and  if  there  be  this  bias  on  our  minds 
in  this  enquiry,   it  is  a  reafonable  and  ho 
nourable  bias,   fiich  as  no  perfon  need  be 
alhamed  to  avow.  V 

At  the  fame  time,  the  greater  is  the 
object  propofed  to  us,  the  more  fcrupu- 
lous  we  fhall  naturally  be  in  our  enquiries 
concerning  it.  When  the  apoftles  were 
firft  informed  of  the  refurreclion  of  their 
beloved  inafter,  it  is  faid  by  the  hiftorian, 

that 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  25 

that  they  did  not  believe  through  joy;  and  it 
was  not  without  the  moft  irrefiftible  evi 
dence,  that  of  their  fenfes,  that  they  were 
at  length  fatisfied  with  refpeft  to  it.  Let 
us  aft  the  fame  part,  and  not  receive  a 
pleafing  tale  merely  becaufe  it  is  pleafing 
to  us,  but  ftriftly  examine  the  evidence  of 
it ;  and  this  is  what  I  propofe  to  lay  be 
fore  you,  wTith  the  greateft  plainnefs, 
without  concealing  any  difficulties  that 
appear  to  me  to  be  worthy  of  much 
notice.  Chrift  and  the  apoftles  always 
appealed  to  the  underftanding  of  their 
hearers,  and  it  can  only  be  a  fpurious  kind 
of  religion  that  difclaims  the  ufe  of  reafon, 
that  faculty  by  which  alone  we  are  capable 
of  religion,  and  by  which  alone  we  are 
able  to  diftinguifh  true  religion  from  falfe, 
and  that  which  is  genuine,  from  the  foreign 
and  heterogeneous  matter  that  has  been 
added  to  it. 


DISCOURSE  II. 

Of  the  fuperior  Value  of  Revealed  Religion* 


He  hath  ihewed  thee,  O  man,  what  is  good;  and  what  doth 
the  Lord  require  of  thee,  but  to  do  juflly,  to  love  mercy, 
and  to  walk  humbly  with  thy  God. 

MIC  AH,  vi.  8. 

PROPOSING  to  deliver  a  feries  of 
Difcourfes  on  the  evidences  of  revealed 
religion,  I  have  begun  with  fhewing  the 
real  value  of  religion  in  general,  confifting 
in  a  belief  of  the  being  and  providence  of 
God,  and  of  a  future  ftate  of  retribution. 
Taking  it,  therefore,  for  granted,  that 
this  faith  is  of  real  value  to  men,  both  as 
individuals  and  as  members  of  fociety,  I 
ihall  now  endeavour  to  fhew  that  the  plan 
of  communicating  this  knowledge  by  occa- 
fional  interpofitions  of  the  Supreme  Be 
ing 


2&  THE     EVIDENCES    OF 

ing  is,  in  feveral  refpects,  preferable  to 
that  which  unbelievers  boaft  of  as  fuperior 
to  it,  viz.  the  gradual  acquifition  of  it  by 
the  mere  ufe  of  reafon. 

But  I  would  previoufly  obferve  that, 
provided  the  great  end  be  gained,  viz.  the 
improvement  of  the  human  character  by 
the  attainment  of  fuch  knowledge,  and 
the  forming  of  fuch  habits,  as  will  qua 
lify  men  to  be  moft  happy  in  themfelves, 
and  difpofe  them  to  communicate  the  moft 
happinefs  to  others  (which  is  the  great  ob 
ject  with  God,  the  common  parent  of  us 
all)  the  means  are  of  no  farther  value. 
That  fcheme,  or  fyftem,  whatever  it  be, 
which  beft  promotes  this  great  end,  is,  for 
that  reafon  the  beft;  and  if  the  two 
fchemes  be  equally  adapted  to  gain  the 
fame  end,  they  are  exactly  of  equal  va 
lue. 

Religion  itfelf  is  only  a  means,  or  in- 
ftrument,  to  make  men  virtuous,  and 
thereby  happy,  in  fuch  a  manner  as  ra 
tional  beings  are  alone  capable  of  be 
ing  made  happy :  and  the  different  kinds, 

forms, 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  29 

forms,  rites,  or  exercifes,  of  religion  are 
of  no  value  but  as  they  tend  to  make  men 
religious,  infpiring  them  with  the  fear  of 
God,  and  a  difpofition  confcientioufly  to 
obferve  whatever  he  is  fuppofed  to  re 
quire  of  them.  This  great  truth,  which 
we  ought  ever  to  bear  in  mind,  is  clearly 
exprefled  in  my  text,  What  doth  the  Lord 
require  of  thee,  but  to  do  juftly,  to  love  mercy, 
and  to  'walk  humbly  -with  thy  God,  i.  e.  to  en 
tertain  juft  fentiments,  and  obferve  a  right 
conduct,  with  reipect  to  God  and  man; 
and  every  thing  that  God  has  Jbe-wed  us, 
whether  by  the  light  of  nature,  or  by  oc- 
cafional  interpofitions,  has  no  other  object 
than  this.  He  hath  fieivcd  thee,  0  man, 
ivhat  is  good,  what  tends  to  make  him  vir 
tuous  and  happy. 

Let  no  perfon,  therefore,  value  him- 
felf  on  his  religion  as  fuch,  be  the  princi 
ples  of  it  ever  fo  true,  his  knowlegde  of 
it  ever  fo  exact,  and  his  faith  in  it  ever  fo 
firm.  He  is  thereby  only  poflefled  of  a 
means  to  a  certain  end,  and  if  that  end 
be  not  attained,  he  is  fo  far  from  being  a 

gainer 


30  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

gainer  by  being  poflefled  of  the  means  that 
he  is  highly  culpable  for  having  fuch  an 
inftrument,  and  making  no  proper  ufe  of 
it.  For  better,  as  the  apoftle  fays,  (2.  Pet. 
ii.  21.)  'would  it  be  never  to  have  known  the 
'way  of  righteoufnefs  than,  after  having  known 
it,  to  depart  from  it,  i.  e.  by  living  a  vi 
cious  life.  Alfo,  according  to  our  Sa* 
viour's  moft  folemn  declarations,  whatever 
may  have  been  a  man's  relation  to  him- 
felf,  even  though  he  may  have  worked 
miracles  in  his  name,  if  he  be  a  worker 
of  iniquity  he  will  at  the  laft  day  difclaim 
all  knowledge  of  him,  and  order  him  to 
depart  from  him. 

As  the  improvement  of  the  human 
character  in  virtuous  principles  and  habits 
is  the  end  of  all  religion,  we  muft  judge 
of  the  preferablenefs  of  natural,  or  revealed 
religion  by  their  fuperior  tendency  to  ef 
fect  this  great  end.  But,  indeed,  fo  little 
of  religion  properly  fo  called  have  men  ever 
derived  from  the  light  of  nature,  and  fo 
little  are  thofe  who  reject  revelation  really 
influenced  by  any  religious  principle,  that 

the 


REVEALED     RELIGION.  31 

the  true  ftate  of  the  queftion,  in  fact,  is 
whether  it  be  better  for  man  to  have  the 
religion  that  is  taught  in  the  fcriptures, 
or  none  at  all.  They  who  reject  revela 
tion  may  not  abfolutely,  and  in  words 
reject  the  belief  of  a  God,  and  of  a 
providence  (though  we  fee  in  the  example 
of  the  French  philofophers,  and  many 
others,  that  this  is  generally  the  cafe)  they 
are  not  influenced  by  that  belief.  Nor 
can  we  wonder  at  this,  when  they  cer 
tainly  have  not,  in  fact,  any  expectation 
of  a  future  ftate,  which,  as  I  fhall  Ihew, 
was  never  taught  to  any  ufeful  purpofe  but 
by  revelation. 

Religion  implies  the  belief  of  the  be 
ing  and  providence  of  God,  and  fuch  a 
refpect  for  the  will  of  God,  as  will  effec 
tually  controul  a  man's  natural  inclinations 
and  direct  his  conduct,  reftraining  him 
from  irregularities  to  which  he  is  naturally 
prone,  and  exciting  him  to  actions  to 
which  he  is  naturally  averfe.  But  as  men 
in  general  are  governed  either  by  ftrong 
natural  appetites,  or  a  view  to  their  in- 

tereft, 


3*  THE     EVIDENCES    OF 

tereft,  it  cannot  be  expe&ed  that  virtue 
alone,  without  any  hope  of  future  reward 
or  punilhment,  can  have  fuch  charms  for 
them,  that  they  will  abandon  their  plea- 
fare,  their  eafe,  or  their  advantage,  for 
the  pure  love  of  it.  Suppofmg  that  men 
might  arrive  at  a  knowledge  of  the  will  of 
God  with  refpect  to  their  conduct  in  life, 
they  would  not  feel  any  fufficient  obligation 
to  conform  to  it,  without  the  great  fanc- 
tion  of  future  rewards  and  punifhments. 
Mere  authority,  as  that  of  a  parent,  or  of 
a  magiftrate,  is  little  or  nothing  without 
the  power  of  rewarding  and  punifhing. 
Nothing,  therefore,  but  a  firm  belief  in  a 
future  ftate  of  retribution,  can  be  expefted 
to  reftrain  men  from  giving  into  thofe  in 
dulgences  to  which  they  have  a  ftrong 
propenfity. 

I .  With  reipecl  to  every  article  of  reli 
gion,  the  light  of  nature  is  far  from  being 
fufficiently  clear  and  diftincl,  fo  as  to  be 
inferred  with  certainty  by  the  mod  intelli 
gent  of  men.  With  refpecl  to  what  is  moft 
effential  to  human  happinefs,  the  wifeft  of 

men 


REVEALED  RELIGON.  33 

men  do  not  appear  to  have  been,  in  fact, 
fuperior  to  the  bulk,  having  in  a  variety 
of  refpedls,  laid  down  the  moft  erroneous 
rules  for  the  conduct  of  men.  Plain  as 
the  moft  important  maxims  of  morality 
are,  there  is  not  one  of  them,  but  what 
the  moft  enlightened  not  only  of  the  an 
cient  philofophers,  but  of  modern  unbe 
lievers,  have  controverted.  What  we  call 
conftience,  and  which  we  might  exped  to 
be  a  better  guide  in  this  refpeft,  than  even 
reafon,  is  by  no  means  the  fame  uniform 
principle  in  all  men.  It  is  formed  by  va 
rious  aflbciations  of  ideas,  depending  on 
the  circumftances  of  our  education,  fo  that 
things  which  abfolutely  fhock  fome  perfons, 
are  not  felt  as  at  all  improper  by  others. 
There  is,  therefore,  fomethirtg  wanted 
fuperior  to  the  dictates  of  reafon,  or  natu 
ral  confcience,  and  this  can  only  be  revealed 
religion,  or  the  authority  of  our  maker, 
which  muft  be  obeyed  without  reafon- 
ing.  Man  will,  no  doubt,  difpute  even 
about  the  will  of  God,  when  it  is  moft 
clearly  revealed,  as  they  do  concerning 

the 
F 


34  THE  EVIDENCES  OF 

the  mod  exprefs  laws  that  are  ever  made 
by  men,  but  if  this  be  done  with  refpect 
to  the  articulate  voice  of  God,  it  will  be 
done  to  a  much  greater  extent,  and  with 
much  more  plaufibility,  to  the  inarticulate 
voice  of  nature,  which  every  perfon  will 
interpret  as  he  is  previoufly  inclined. 

If  when  men  are  hurried  on  by  paffion, 
or  fwayed  by  intereft,  they  will  tranfgrefs 
fuch  pofitive  and  acknowledged  commands, 
as  tbou  foalt  not  commit  adultery ,  tbou  /halt  not 
fteal,  &c.  as  we  fee  that,  in  fact,  they  do, 
it  will  not,  however,  be  without  reluc 
tance,  and  remorfe;  and  therefore  tranf- 
greflions  will  be  lefs  frequent,  and  lefs  fla 
grant,  and  repentance  and  amendment  may 
be  more  reafonably  expected  to  follow. 
But  where  no  fuch  pofitive  command  is 
acknowledged  to  exift,  and  the  voice  of 
nature  alone  is  to  be  confulted  about  the 
proper  conduct  of  life,  moft  men  will  mif- 
take  their  own  inclination  for  the  voice 
of  nature,  and  confequently  fin  without 
reluctance  or  remorfe.  Of  this  it  would 
be  eafy  to  give  inftances  in  the  cleareft  of 

all 


REVEALED  RELIGION.  3$ 

all  cafes,  but  this  would  take  up  too  much 
of  our  time,  and  fomething  of  this  was 
mentioned  in  my  laft  difcourfe. 

2.  Still  lefs  would  men,  by  the  mere 
light  of  nature,  have  ever  attained  to  any 
fatisfactory  conclufion  with  refpect  to  the 
ultimate  defign  of  the  author  of  nature  in 
the  formation  of  man.  I  mean  the  pro 
longation  of  his  exiftence  beyond  the 
grave.  On  this  moft  inter efting  of  all 
queftions  nature  is  altogether  filent.  Judg 
ing  from  appearances,  as  the  brutes  die, 
fo  does  man;  and  all  his  faculties  and 
powers  die  with  him.  That  at  death  any 
things  efcapes,  unaffected  by  this  cataftro- 
phe,  is  a  mere  arbitrary  fuppofition,  unfup- 
ported  by  any  appearance,  or  probability 
of  any  kind. 

That  the  belief  which  the  ancient 
Greeks  and  Romans  had  of  a  future  life, 
imperfect,  and  of  little  value,  as  it  was, 
was  originally  derived  from  revelation, 
but  exceedingly  corrupted  by  tradition, 
is  pretty  evident  from  this  circumftance, 
that  wrhen  they  began  to  jpeculaie  on  the 

fubjed, 


36  THE  EVIDENCES  OF 

fubjeft,  and  examine  the  reafons  they  could 
produce  for  it,  all  ferious  belief  in  the  doc 
trine  foon  vanifhed.  With  the  Platonifts, 
who  made  the  moft  of  this  do&rine,  it 
was  only  a  curious  (peculation,  of  no  real 
ufe  in  the  conduft  of  life,  fuch  as  it  is 
with  Jews  and  Chriftians.  Indeed,  the 
reajons  which  the  Flatonifts  gave  for  this 
doftrine,  and  which  Plato  puts  into  the 
mouth  of  Socrates,  are  fuch  as  could  not 
poffibly  have  any  weight  with  thinking 
men.  That  on  which  he  lays  the  greateft 
ftrefs,  is  the  doArine  of  pre-exiftence, 
that  the  fouls  of  men  were  originally  with 
out  bodies,  and  afterwards  confined  in 
them  as  in  a  prifon,  and  that  death  is  the 
breaking  of  this  prifon.  But  where  is  the 
evidence  of  men  having  pre-exifted  ?  This 
do&rine  of  pre-exiftence  we  £nd  moft  ful 
ly  eftabliftied  in  Egypt  and  the  Eaft, 
whence  Plato  and  other  Greeks  derived  it. 
With  modern  unbelievers  it  certainly  has 
no  weight. 

It  is  well  known  that  the  firft  philofo- 
phers  among  the  Greeks  did  not  pretend 

to 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  37 

to  difcover  any  thing  by  their  own  rea- 
foning.  They  only  taught  what  they  had 
learned  of  others,  who  had  received  the 
tenets  that  had  been  tranfmitted  to  them 
from  early  times,  and  that  what  they 
taught  was  delivered  to  their  pupils  on 
their  fole  authority,  as  what  was  not  to 
be  contradifted.  This  was  the  eftablifhed 
cuftom  of  the  Pythagorean  fchool.  Rea- 
foning  came  into  their  fchools  afterwards, 
and  with  it  the  wildeft  theories  on  all  fub- 
je£b,  as  I  lhall  fhew  in  its  proper  place, 
and  a  total  fcepticifm  with  refpect  to  the 
doctrine  of  a  future  ftate  of  retribution, 
as  a  motive  to  virtue. 

Suppofing  that  it  were  poffible  by  the 
mere  light  of  nature  to  arrive  at  the  be 
lief  of  a  future  ftate,  yet  judging  from 
prefent  appearances,  it  could  not  be  the 
future  ftate  announced  in  the  Scriptures, 
a  ftate  in  which  virtue  will  find  an  ample 
recompence,  and  vice  its  juft  punifhment, 
but  only  fuch  a  life  as  this,  and  in  all  other 
refpefts  refembling  the  prefent ;  which  is 
the  belief  of  the  North  American  Indians, 

and 


38  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

and  moft  other  barbarous  nations.  If  be- 
caufe  we  diflike  any  thing  in  the  prefent 
fyftem,  we  entertain  an  idea  that  the  in 
convenience  complained  of  will  be  remov 
ed  in  a  future  ftate,  where  is  the  evidence 
that,  under  the  fame  powers,  or  principles, 
of  nature,  whatever  they  are,  things  will 
be  ordered  in  a  better  manner?  Is  it  pof- 
fible  to  infer  from  what  we  fee  (and  we 
have  nothing  elfe  by  which  to  guide  our 
conjectures)  that  thofe  evils  which  the 
author  of  nature  has  thought  proper,  for 
whatever  reafon,  to  introduce,  or  to  per 
mit,  here,  will  not  be  continued  there 
alfo?  If  we  fay  that  it  is  not  agreeable  to 
juftice  that  good  and  bad  men  mould  be 
treated  as  they  are  here,  where  is  the  evi 
dence,  from  any  prefent  appearances,  that 
the  author  of  nature  intended  that  they 
fhould  ever  be  treated  otherwife  ?  Left  to 
the  light  of  nature,  we  could  only  reafon 
from  what  we  know,  and  this  would  lead 
us  to  expect  that,  if  there  be  any  life  after 
death,  it  will  be  fimilar  to  the  prefent. 
It  is  only  from  the  exprefs  aflurance  of  the 

author 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  39 

author  of  nature,  communicated  by  reve 
lation,  that  we  believe  the  future  ftate 
will  be  better  than  the  prefent,  that  in  it 
the  righteous  will  be  fully  rewarded,  and 
the  wicked  puniflied.  It  is  evident,  there 
fore,  that  when  we  abandon  revelation, 
we  give  up  all  religion  properly  fo  called, 
all  that  can  have  any  falutary  influence  on 
the  hearts  and  lives  of  men. 

3.  With  refpecl  to  men,  there  is  cer 
tainly  a  great  advantage  in  precepts  and 
commands,  promifes  and  threatenings  be 
ing  delivered  in  'words,  proceeding  as  from 
a  real  perfon,  it  being  by  this  means  that 
inftruclions  are  delivered  with  the  greatefl 
diftinftnefs.  It  may  indeed,  be  faid,  and 
with  truth,  that  nature  fpeaks  to  men, 
and  that  nature  teaches,  and  nature  threat 
ens,  but  befides  that  the  information  is 
more  indiftinftly  communicated,  it  is  in  a 
manner  le£s  apt  to  make  an  imprefiion, 
and  command  refpecl.  It  is,  therefore, 
of  great  advantage  that  the  attention 
of  men  be  directed  to  fomething  beyond 
mere  nature,  viz.  to  the  author  and  lord 

of 


40  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

of  nature,  and  that  he  be  confidered  not 
as  an  allegorical  perfonage,  but  a  real  in 
telligent  Being,  capable  of  communicating 
his  will  in  words,  and  fuch  figns  as  men 
are  daily  accuflomed  to,  and  apt  to  be 
impreffed  by. 

Befides,  all  men  feel  an  unavoidable  pro- 
penfity  to  addrefs  themfelves  to  the  Being 
on  whom  they  depend ;  and  without  fome 
mode  of  intercourfe  with  him,  they  would 
foon  lofe  fight  of  him,  as  a  child  would  of 
his  father,  if  he  never  faw  him,  and  had 
no  accefs  to  him.  Without  an  idea  of 
God  different  from  what  we  could  collecl: 
from  the  contemplation  of  nature,  there 
would  be  no  fuch  thing  as  prayer.  Indeed, 
unbelievers  in  revelation  ridicule  the  idea 
of  prayer  as  unnatural  and  abfurd,  though 
all  nations,  without  exception,  have  had 
recourfe  to  it;  which  is  a  clear  proof  that 
it  is  natrual,  as  every  thing  that  is  univer- 
fal  muft  be. 

Authority  is  beft  fupported  by  a  mix 
ture  of  ajfeffion,  but  there  cannot  be  any 
thing  of  this  except  towards  a  being  re- 

fembling 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  41 

fembling  other  beings  which  have  been 
the  object  of  an  affe&ion,  and  which  have 
engaged  our  confidence.  And  in  revela 
tion,  but  by  no  means  in  nature,  the  Su 
preme  Being  appears  to  us  in  the  familiar 
character  of  a  parent,  a  perfon  with 
whom  we  can  have  communication,  who 
may  be  conceived  to  be  always  prefent 
with  us,  who  encourages  us  to  addrefs 
ourfelves  to  him,  who  always  hears  us, 
and  fometimes  anfwers  us.  By  this  means 
God  eafily  becomes  the. object  of  real  af 
fection,  and  attachment.  Here  we  find 
a  folid  foundation  for  love  and  fear,  which 
are  the  chief  motives  for  men's  actions. 
With  believers  in  revelation,  this  fome 
times  degenerates  into  an  abfurd  enthufi- 
afm,  by  which  the  Divine  Being  becomes 
the  object  of  a  fond  and  improper  affection- 
We  may  fay  that  it  is  beneath  the  Su 
preme  Being,  and  unworthy  of  him,  to 
have  this  familiar  intercourfe  with  men ; 
but  it  is  of  great  importance  to  our  virtue 
and  happinefs ;  and  to  a  being  of  perfect 
benevolence,  and  who  knows,  the  frame 

that 
G 


4*  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

that  he  has  given  us,  nothing  will  appear 
beneath  him  that  is  fo  well  adapted  to  an- 
fvver  his  benevolent  purpofe  refpefting  us. 
Nor,  indeed,  would  the  moft  abfolute 
prince,  if  he  really  wifhed  to  appear  as 
the  father  and  friend  of  his  people,  think 
any  thing  beneath  him  that  tended  to  pro 
mote  the  happinefs  of  his  fubjecTrs. 

It  is  faid  by  modern  unbelievers,  that 
the  expectaion  of  fuch  a  being  as  the  great 
author  of  nature  condefcending  to  aft  this 
humble  part  is  unreafonable,  and  that 
miracles  of  all  kinds,  the  only  evidence 
of  it,  are  neceflarily  incredible.  I  anfwer 
that  the  aflertion  betrays  a  great  unac- 
quaintednefs  with  human  nature,  and  the 
hiftory  of  man.  For  it  has  been  the  be 
lief  of  all  nations,  and  all  ages,  that  the 
higheft  beings  of  whom  they  had  any 
idea  have  acted  this  very  part.  Socrates 
himfelf  exprefled  an  earned  wifh  for  a 
divine  inftruftor.  This  expectation  and 
belief  is,  therefore,  by  no  means  unnatu 
ral,  and  there  muft  be  fomething  in  human 
nature  that  leads  to  it. 

If 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  43 

-If  we  look  to  the  laft,  and  therefore 
what  we  may  fuppofe  to  be  the  moft  im 
proved  ftate  of  heathen  philofophy,  that 
of  the  later  Platonifts,  or  Eclectics,  to 
wrhich  the  emperor  Julian  (whofe  fuperior 
good  fenfe  is  fo  much  the  boaft  of  modern 
unbelievers)  attached  himfelf,  we  ihall 
find  them  in  this  very  refpect  the  moft 
fuperftitious,  the  moft  enthufiaftic,  and  the 
moft  credulous  of  men.  Far  from  fup- 
pofing  that  men  had  no  intercourfe  with 
the  fupreme  being,  they  expected  to  unite 
themfelves  to  him  by  contemplation,  and 
corporeal  mortification.  "  The  piety  of 
"  ^Proclus,  one  of  the  moft  celebrated  of 
"  them,  is  highly  extolled  by  his  biogra- 
"  pher.  He  (pent  whole  days  and  nights 
"  in  repeating  prayers  and  hymns,  that 
"  he  might  prepare  himfelf  for  an  imme- 
"  diate  intercourfe  with  the  gods.  He 
"  obferved  with  great  folemnity  the  new 
"  moons,  and  all  public  feftivals,  and  on 
"  thefe  occafions  imagined  that  he  con- 
"  verfed  with  fuperior  beings,  and  was 
"  able  by  his  facrifices,  prayers,  and  hymns, 

to 


44  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

"  to  expel  difeafes,  to  command  rain, 
"  to  flop  earthquakes,  and  to  perform 
"  other  fimilar  miracles."  Whether, 
therefore,  we  look  to  the  vulgar,  or  the 
philofophers  among  the  ancients,  we  fhall 
find  the  idea  of  divine  communications  and 
of  miracles,  to  have  been  natural  to  man. 
Thefe  philofophers  did  not  deny  the  mira 
cles  of  Chrift,  but  maintained  that  he 
wrought  them  by  the  fame  magical  or 
theurgic  powers,  as  they  were  termed, 
which  they  themfelves  poffefled.  See  En- 
field's  Hiftory  of  Philofophy,  Vol.  i. 
p.  83,  92. 

4.  They  who  give  fo  decided  a  prefer 
ence  to  the  light  of  nature,  the  appear 
ances  of  which  are  uniform,  to  that  of 
revelation,  which  fuppofes  an  occafional 
departure  from  the  ufual  courfe  of  nature, 
betray  their  ignorance  of  the  nature  of 
man,  by  whom  all  uniform  appearances  are 
apt  to  be  difregarded,  but  who  never  fail 
to  be  {truck  by  what  is  umtjiiaL  Does 
not  every  human  being  fee  the  regular  ri- 
fing  and  fetting  of  the  fun,  the  periodical 

returns 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  45 

returns  of  fummer  and  winter,  feed  time 
andharveft,  but  how  few  ever  think  of  the 
wifdom  or  benevolence  of  thefe  appoint 
ments?  They  content  themfelves  with  ob- 
ferving  effctts,  and  directing  their  conduct  by 
them,  without  ever  reflecting  on  the  caufe. 
But  wherever  any  thing  unujual  happens, 
wrhen  comets  are  feen,  or  eclipfes  of  the 
fun  or  moon  take  place,  their  attention  is 
forcibly  arrefted ;  and  after  reflecting  on 
the  caufe  of  the  extraordinary  appear 
ances,  they  may  be  induced  to  give  fome 
attention  to  thofe  that  are  conftant.  I 
fhall  illuftrate  this  by  a  cafe  which  I  have 
put  on  a  former  occaflon. 

Let  a  perfon  unacquainted  with  clocks, 
watches,  and  other  machines,  be  intro 
duced  into  a  room  containing  many  of 
them,  all  in  regular  motion.  He  fees  no 
maker  of  thefe  machines,  and  knows  no 
thing  of  their  internal  ftructure ;  and  as  he 
fees  them  all  to  move  wdth  perfect  regu 
larity,  he  may  fay,  on  the  principles  of 
the  atheiftical  fyftem,  that  they  are  auto 
mata,  or  felf-moving  machines;  and  fo 

long 


46  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

long  as  all  thefe  machines  continue  in  re 
gular  motion,  and  he  knows  nothing  of 
the  making  of  them,  or  the  winding  of 
them  up,  this  theory  may  appear  plau- 
fible. 

But  let  us  fuppofe  that,  coming  into 
this  room  again  and  again,  and,  always 
attending  to  the  machines,  he  fhall  find 
one  of  them  much  out  of  order,  and 
that  at  length  its  motion  fhall  intirely 
ceafe  ;  but  that  after  continuing  in  this 
(late  fome  time,  he  fhall  again  find  it  in 
perfect;  order,  moving  as  regularly  as 
ever.  Will  he  not  then  conclude  that  fome 
perfon,  whom  he  has  not  feen,  but  pro 
bably  the  maker  of  the  machines,  had 
been  in  the  room  in  his  abfence?  The  ref- 
toration  of  motion  to  the  difordered  ma 
chine  would  imprefs  his  mind  with  the 
idea  of  a  maker  of  them  in  a  much  more 
forcible  manner  than  his  obferving  the  re 
gular  conftruftion,  and  uniform  motion  of 
them.  It  muft  convince  him  of  the  exift- 
ence  of  fome  perfon  capable  of  regulating, 
and  therefore  probably  of  making  thefe 

machines, 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  47 

machines,  whether  he  fhould  ever  fee  this 
perfon  or  not. 

Thus  do  miracles  prove  the  exiftence 
of  a  God  in  a  fhorter  and  more  fatisfaclo- 
ry  manner  than  the  obfervation  of  the 
uninterrupted  courfe  of  nature.  If  there 
be  a  Being  who  can  controul  the  courfe  of 
nature,  there  muft  be  one  who  originally 
eftablijhed  it,  in  whatever  difficulty  we  may 
ftill  be  left  with  refpect  to  his  nature,  and 
the  manner  of  his  exiftence. 

Why  men  fhould  be  (truck  with  un- 
ufual  appearances  it  is  not  my  bufinefs  to 
explain,  though  it  would  not  be  difficult 
to  do  it,  the  fac~l  of  their  being  fo  is  fuffici- 
ent  to  my  purpofe.  And  therefore  a  per 
fon  acquainted  with  human  nature,  and 
this  property  of  it,  would  not  neglect  to 
avail  himfelf  of  it  when  he  wifhed  to  en 
gage  the  attention  of  men,  for  the  purpofe 
of  their  inftruc~lion  and  improvement. 
Why  then  fhould  we  think  it  unnatural, 
or  improper,  in  the  divine  Being,  who,  as 
the  maker  of  men,  beft  knows  what  they 
are,  and  in  what  way  to  apply  to  them? 

Let 


48  TOE  EVIDENCES  OF 

Let  no  one  then  fay  that  occafional  in- 
terpofitions,  or  miraculous  appearances,  are 
an  unnatural,  or  improper  mode  of  in- 
ftrucling  mankind,  when  it  is  in  a  manner 
neceiTary  to  draw  their  attention  to  a  fu- 
perior  being,  as  a  foundation  for  their 
intercourfe  with  him. 

4.  No  lefs  are  they  miftaken  who 
imagine  that  the  evidences  of  revealed 
religion  have  more  of  difficulty  in  them 
than  thofe  of  natural  religion,  by  which 
we  mean  the  arguments  from  nature  for 
the  being,  perfections,  and  providence  of 
God.  On  the  contrary,  far  greater  diffi 
culties  occur  with  refpecT:  to  tbefe,  than 
with  refpecl  to  the  others,  and  all  that 
can  be  faid  is,  that  great  difficulties  muft 
give  way  to  greater.  Far  am  I  from 
fuppofing  that  the  evidence  for  the  being  of 
a  God,  is  not  demonjirative,  fince  marks 
of  defign,  with  which  the  world  abounds, 
neceffarily  imply  a  defigning  or  intelligent 
caufe.  But  notwithftanding  this,  we  can 
never  fully  fatisfy  ourfelves  with  refpect 
to  the  objection  of  the  atheift,  that  if  the 

univerfe 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  49 

univerfe  require  a  caufe,  this  caufe  mufl 
require  another;  and  if  the  author  of  na 
ture,  or  the  being  we  call  God,  exifl 
without  a  caufe,  fo  may  the  univerfe  it- 
felf. 

All  that  we  can  fay  in  anfwer  to  this, 
is  that,  whatever  difficulty  we  may  labour 
under  with  refpecl  to  this  fubject,  which 
will  always  be  above  our  comprehenfion, 
the  aclual  exiftence  of  a  vifible  world, 
and  of  marks  of  defign  in  it,  cannot  be  de 
nied,  and  therefore,  whether  we  be  able  to 
proceed  any  farther  or  not,  we  mujl  ac 
knowledge  a  defigning  caufe.  Otherwife 
we  might  fay  that  a  houfe  had  no  archi 
tect,  or  a  child  no  father.  If  the  eye  of 
a  man  require  no  defigning  caufe,  neither 
would  a  telefcope,  which  is  an  inftrument 
of  a  fimilar  nature,  evidently  adapted  to 
anfwer  a  fimilar  purpofe.  And  at  this 
fuppofition  every  mind  v/ould  revolt. 

More  and  greater  difficulties  occur 
when  we  proceed  to  the  confederation  of 
the  unity,  the  omniprefence,  the  conftant 
agency,  and  wrhat  is  of  more  confequence 

H  ftill, 


$o  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

ftill,  the  benevolence  of  the  Supreme  Being, 
on  the  principles  of  the  light  of  nature. 
So  forcibly  were  the  minds  of  men  in  the 
early  ages,  imprefled  with  a  view  of  the 
evils  which  abound  in  the  world,  and  fo 
inconfiftent  did  they  conceive  them  to  be 
with  the  defigns  of  a  benevolent  author, 
that  they  fuppofed  there  was  an  original 
principle  of  evil,  independant  of  that  of 
good.  And  they  who  fuppofed  there 
was  a  multiplicity  of  deities  (to  which 
they  were  led  by  the  extent  and  va 
riety  they  obferved  in  the  works  of  na 
ture)  imagined  fome  of  them  to  be  of  a 
benevolent,  and  others  of  a  malevolent 
difpofition.  That  the  author  of  nature  is 
one,  that  he  is  fimply,  invariably,  and  in 
finitely  good,  and  that  all  the  evils  we 
fee  and  experience,  are  calculated  to  pro 
mote  good,  are  great  and  fublime  truths, 
which  we  derive  from  revelation  only, 
though,  on  a  ftricl;  examination,  they  ap 
pear  not  to  be  inconfiftent  with  the  ap 
pearances  in  nature, 


On 


REVEALED    RELIGIOM.  51 

On  the  other  hand,  the  evidences  of 
revelation  are  level  to  every  capacity. 
That  it  is  the  author  of  nature  who  inter- 
pofes  muft  be  evident  from  every  interup- 
tion  of  the  ufual  courfe  of  it.  For  no  other 
than  he  who  eftabliflied  the  laws  of  nature 
can  controul  them ;  and  though  there  may 
be  fome  difficulty  in  diftinguifhing  fome 
preternatural  appearances  from  fuch  as  are 
merely  unufual,  this  cannot  be  the  cafe  with 
refpeci  to  numberlefs  others.  If  it  was  a  fad 
that  the  Ifraelites  walked  through  the  Red 
Sea,  and  the  river  Jordan,  if  all  the  firft- 
born  of  the  Egyptians,  and  the  firft-born 
only,  of  man  and  beaft,  died  in  one  night, 
and  that  announced  before-hand;  if  an 
articulate  voice  was  actually  heard  to  pro 
nounce  the  ten  commandments  from  mount 
Sinai,  fo  as  to  be  heard  by  a  million  of 
people,  there  could  be  no  doubt  of  a  di 
vine  interpofition  in  any  of  the  cafes. 
And  the  fame  may  be  faid  of  numberlefs 
other  facls  in  the  fcripture  hiftory.  If  the 
faffs  be  afcertained,  there  can  be  no  doubt 
concerning  their  caufe. 

Now, 


$*  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

Now,  all  fa&s  may  be  afcertained  by 
fufficient  teftimony,  or  that  of  a  compe 
tent  number  of  credible  witnefles,  i.  e.  of 
perfons  who  were  in  circumftances  not  to 
be  impofed  upon  themfelves,  and  who  had 
no  apparent  motive  to  impofe  upon  others. 
This  is  fully  equal  to  the  evidence  of  a 
man's  own  fenfes.  Nay,  there  are  many 
perfons  who  would  diftruft  their  own  eyes 
and  ears  rather  than  thofe  of  other  per 
fons,  who  they  thought  were  better  judges 
than  themfelves. 

Though  fmgle  perfons  may  be  im 
pofed  upon  in  a  variety  of  ways,  or  may 
take  it  into  their  heads,  for  reafons  which 
it  is  not  in  the  power  of  an)  man  to  in- 
veftigate,  to  impofe  upon  others,  this  can 
never  be  faid  to  be  the  cafe  with  refpeft 
to  thoufands  who  believe,  or  atteft,  things 
evidently  contrary  to  their  intereft,  and 
previous  inclinations.  That  great  num 
bers  of  perfons,  and  others  in  fucceffion  to 
them,  all  of  whom  had  fufficient  oppor 
tunity  to  iriveftigate  any  particular  facl, 
which  required  no  other  evidence  than 

that 


REVEALED     RELIGION.  5  3 

that  of  the  fenfes,  and  who  were  intereft- 
ed  in  the  inveftigation,  their  fortunes  or 
their  lives  depending  upon  it,  fhould  per- 
fift  in  their  atteflation  of  it,  would  be  a 
greater  miracle,  more  contrary  to  what 
we  know  of  human  nature,  than  any  fact 
contained  in  the  fcripture  hiftory. 

As  to  the  evidence  of  a  future  ftate, 
what  are  all  the  arguments  derived  from 
the  light  of  nature  compared  to  that 
which  is  furnifhed  by  the  gofpel,  which  is 
therefore  juftly  faid  (2  Tim.  i.  10.)  to  bring 
life  and  immortality  to  light?  There  we  fee 
a  perfon  commiffioned  by  God,  teaching 
the  doctrine  with  the  greateft  plainnefs 
and  emphafis,  enforcing  it  by  miracles, 
among  which  was  the  raifing  of  feveral 
perfons  from  a  ftate  of  death  to  life, 
and,  what  was  infinitely  more,  fubmitting 
to  die  himfelf  in  the  moft  public  and 
indifputable  manner,  and  rifing  to  life 
again  at  a  fixed  time.  Had  mankind  in 
general  been  aiked  what  evidence  would 
fatisfy  them,  they  could  not  have  demand 
ed  more. 

Whatever 


54  THE    EVIDENCES  OF 

Whether  therefore,  we  confider  the 
precepts  of  religion,  i.  e.  the  rules  of  a 
virtuous  aud  happy  life,  the  authority  re- 
quifite  to  enforce  the  obfervance  of  them, 
the  motives  by  which  they  are  enforced, 
or  the  evidence  of  their  truth,  revealed 
religion  has  unfpeakably  the  advantage  of 
natural ;  and  therefore  fo  far  is  the  fcheme 
of  revelation  from  being  improbable  a 
priori,  that  it  muft  appear  fuch  as  a  wife  and 
good  Being,  who  was  acquainted  with  hu 
man  nature,  and  wifhed  to  engage  the  atten 
tion  of  men,  and  imprefs  their  minds  with 
fentiments  of  reverence  of  himfelf,  and  re- 
fpeft  for  fuch  laws  as  were  calculated  to 
promote  their  greateft  happinefs,  would 
adopt  in  preference  to  any  other;  being 
the  beft  adapted  to  gain  his  end.  It  was 
of  the  greateft  importance  to  mankind  to 
be  made  acquainted  with  thofe  moral  prin 
ciples  and  rules  of  conduct  on  which  their 
happinefs  depended,  and  which  they  would 
never  have  difcovered  of  themfelves,  to 
have  their  attention  drawn  to  them  in  the 

moft 


REVEALED     RELIGION.  55 

moft  forcible  manner,  and  to  have  the 
moft  fatisfactory  evidence  of  their  truth  ; 
and  this  is  what  we  find  in  revelation,  and 
in  revelation  only.  It  is  therefore  as  the 
apoftle  juftly  calls  it  ( iCor.  i.  24)  the  ivifdom 
and  the  -power  of  Gody  though  objected 
to,  and  ridiculed,  by  light  and  fuperficial 
men. 


DISCOURSE     III. 

A  View  of  Heathen  Worflnp* 


For  the  wrath  of  God  is  revealed  from  heaven  againft  all 
ungodlinefs  and  unrighteoufnefs  of  men,  who  hold  the 
truth  in  unrighteoufnefs.  Becaufe  that  which  may  be 
known  of  God  is  manifeft  in  them,  for  God  hath  fhewed 
it  unto  them.  For  the  invifible  things  of  him,  from  the 
creation  of  the  world,  are  clearly  feen,  being  underflood 
by  the  things  that  are  made,  even  his  eternal  power  and 
godhead,  fo  that  they  are  without  excufe.  Becaufe  that 
when  they  knew  God,  they  glorified  him  not  as  God, 
neither  were  thankful,  but  became  vain  in  their  imagina 
tions,  and  their  foolifli  heart  was  darkened.  Profefling 
themfelves  to  be  wife,  they  became  fools,  and  changed  the 
glory  of  the  incorruptible  God,  into  an  image  made  like 
to  corruptible  man,  and  to  birds  and  fourfooted  beafts, 
and  creeping  things.  Wherefore  alfo  God  gave  them  up 
to  uncleannefs,  through  the  lufts  of  their  own  hearts,  to 
difhonour  their  own  bodies  between  themfelves,  who 
changed  the  truth  of  God  into  a  lie,  and  worfhipped  and 
ferved  the  creature  more  than  the  Creator,  who  is  blefTed  for 
ever.  For  this  caufe  God  gave  them  up  to  vile  affections. 

ROMANS,  i.  18 — 26. 

1 N  order  to  give  you  a  juft  idea  of 
the  real  value  of  revelation,  it  is  neceflary 
that  I  lay  before  you  the  ftate  of  things 
with  relpeft  to  religion  in  the  heathen 

world, 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  57 

world,  efpecially  in  the  early  ages  of 
mankind,  about  the  time  of  Mofes;  that 
when  I  come  to  give  you  a  view  of  his 
inftitutions,  the  difference  may  be  the 
more  ftriking.  Very  few,  I  am  perfuaded, 
of  the  modern  unbelievers  have  a  jufl 
knowledge  of  this  fubjecT:.  If  they  had, 
it  would,  I  hope,  be  impoffible  for  them 
to  treat  the  religion  of  the  Hebrews  with 
fo  much  contempt.  Not  only  the  extreme 
ignorance,  but  the  great  depravity,  of 
mankind  in  a  ftate  of  heathenifm,  would 
not  be  credible  at  this  day,  if  there  did 
not  exift  a  fuperfluity  of  the  moft  authen 
tic  documents  of  it,  fo  that  the  fads  can 
not  be  denied  without  the  extreme  of 
effrontery.  This,  however,  we  find  in  Vol 
taire,  who  fays  that  "  the  religion  of  the 
"  heathens  confided  in  nothing  but  mora- 
"  tity,  and  feftivals;  morality"  which  he 
fays  "  is  common  to  all  men,  and  feftivals 
"  which  were  no  more  than  times  of  re- 
"  joking,  and  could  not  be  of  prejudice  to 
"  mankind."  The  particulars  which  I  fhall 
be  obliged  to  mention,  and  which  could  not 

i  be 


$8  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

be  unknown  to  this  writer,  though  they  are 
to  many  others,  will  fliew  how  fliamefully 
the  truth  is  difguifed  in  this  reprefentation. 
The  religion  of  the  heathens  had  nothing 
to  do  with  morality,  and  their  public  fefti- 
vals  were  almoft  without  exception,  fcenes 
of  the  greateft  riot  and  debauchery.  Be 
lieving  their  gods  to  be  cruel  or  fenfual, 
there  is  no  vice  how  deteftable  and  unna 
tural  foever,  that  did  not  find  a  place  in 
the  moft  folemn  acts  of  their  worfliip. 

It  is  not  neceflary  for  me  to  give  any 
account  of  the  manner  in  which  mankind 
fell  into  this  deplorable  ftate  of  depravity 
it  being  fufficient  to  fhew  that  fuch  ivas 
their  ftate,  and  that  it  was  evident,  from 
the  experience  of  ages,  in  which  men 
made  the  moft  of  their  powers  of  reafon, 
that  they  were  not  able  to  relieve  them- 
felves.  Why  the  Supreme  Being  permitted 
the  rife  and  progrefs  of  this  fpecies  of 
evil,  may  be  as  infcrutable  to  us,  as  the 
permiffion  of  any  other  evil,  natural  or 
moral,  none  of  which  it  muft  be  acknow 
ledged,  could  have  taken  place  without 

his 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  59 

liis  knowledge  and  permiflion,  and  all  of 
which,  and  this  among  the  reft,  we  have 
reafon  to  believe  will  lead  to  good,  and 
hereafter  appear  to  have  done  fo.  In 
the  mean  time  it  is  well  worth  our  wrhile 
to  contemplate  the  magnitude  of  the  evil, 
and  the  goodnefs  of  G  od  in  the  cure  of  it, 
in  what,  no  doubt,  was  the  proper  time, 
and  in  the  moft  proper  and  effectual  man 
ner. 

That  the  great  principles   of  religion, 
concerning    the   being   and  providence   of 
God,    and    a    future    flate    of    exiftence, 
were  communicated  by    God  to  the  firft 
parents   of  mankind,   is  probable  from  fe- 
veral    circumftances.      Obfcure    traces    of 
this    knowledge  are   found  in  all   antient 
nations,    and  the  farther  we  go  back  into 
antiquity,   the  purer  we  find  their  religion 
to  be.      But  in  procefs  of  time   it  became 
more  and  more  corrupted,   till,   inftead  of 
coming  in  aid  of  virtue,  it  was  itfelf,    a 
great  fource  of  the  corruption  of  morals, 
as  the    progrefs  is  well   defcribed  in    my 
text. 

The' 


&>  THE     EVIDENCES    OF 

The  world  ever  bore  fufficient  marks 
of  its  being  the  produ&ion  of  an  omnipo 
tent  and  good  Being,  a  lover  of  virtue, 
and  a  hater  of  vice  ;  but  men,  contempla 
ting,  as  we  may  fuppofe,  the  immenfe 
variety,  and  feeming  contrariety,  of  the 
works  of  creation,  could  not  believe  that 
the  whole  was  under  the  direction  of 
one  being:  And  being  left  to  their  own 
imaginations,  and  judging  of  other  intel 
ligent  beings  by  what  they  obferved  in 
themfelves,  and  others,  they  concluded 
that  there  muft  be  a  multiplicity  of  beings , 
concerned  in  the  government  of  the  world, 
and  the  direction  of  human  affairs,  fome 
well  and  others  ill  difpofed  towards  them. 
For  it  required  more  knowledge  and  com- 
prehenfion  of  mind  than  they  had  attained, 
to  perceive  that  ail  the  evils  with  which 
the  world  abounds  were  calculated  to  pro 
mote  good.  They  thought  they  faw  in 
them  the  effe&s  of  malice,  and  ill  will,  at 
leaft  of  caprice,  and  their  conduct  natu 
rally  correfponded  to  their  ideas. 

The 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  61 

The    mind  of  man  is  never  fatisfied 
without  looking  for  the  caufef  of  events, 
efpecially  thofe  that  take  place  gnly  occa- 
fiorially,   and  to   appearance,    irregularly, 
and  ftill  more  if  they  be  favourable  or  un 
favourable  to  themfelves,  becaufe  they  hope 
by  this  means  to  be  able  to  avoid  the  one, 
and  fecure  the  other.      And  not  being  able 
to  difcover  the  true  caufes,  they  muft,   of 
courfe,   acquiefce   in  what  they  imagine  to 
be  the  true  caufes.      It  appears    from  all 
hiftory  that,  in  the  moft  early  ages,   man 
kind  in  general  afcribed  every  thing  that 
affe&ed  them  to  the  influences  of  the  hea 
venly  bodies,  the   fun,   moon,    ftars,    and 
planets,    and    to    an    intelligent    principle 
which  they  fuppofed  to  refide  in  them.  For 
heat  and  cold,  ftorms  and  rain,  often  coin 
ing  unexpectedly,  they  naturally   enough 
imagined  that  they  did  not  come  without 
defign,  and  that,  if   thefe  heavenly  agents 
had  been  fo  difpofed,  their  influences  would 
have  been  always  favourable.      To  thefe 
objects  therefore,  they,  of   courfe,  direcl> 
ed    all   their  regards,   and  their  worfhip. 

They 


62  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

They  alfo  came  to  fuppofe  that  there 
was  an  intelligent  principle  in  the  earth, 
and  in  the  feveral  parts  of  it,  as  the  air, 
the  fea,  the  rivers,  mountains,  forefts,  &c. 
fo  that  they  foon  became  pofleffed  of  a 
great  multiplicity  of  objects  of  worfhip, 
whofe  favour  they  thought  it  of  import 
ance  to  gain,  and  whofe  difpleafure  they 
wifhed  to  deprecate. 

Having  got  the  idea  of  different  fu- 
perior  intelligences,  whether  fubordinate 
to  the  fupreme  Being  or  not,  they  foon 
loft  fight  of  the  fupreme  Being  hirnfelf, 
and  gave  their  whole  attention  to  thofe  in 
ferior  beings,  whom  they  fuppofed  to  be 
the  immediate  authors  of  the  good  and 
evil  that  befel  them.  This  was  on  the 
fame  natural  principle  that  tenants  look 
to  the  fteward,  with  whom  they  tranfact 
all  their  bufinefs,  and  not  to  the  proprietor 
of  the  land,  with  whom  they  have  nothing 
to  do. 

We  have  this  farther  evidence  from 
fact,  that  this  pradice  was  natural. 
When  Chriftians  got  the  idea  of  Jefus 

Chrift, 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  63 

Chrifl,  of  faints  and  angels  being  proper 
objects  of  worfhip,  they  generally  fell  into 
the  habit  of  looking  no  higher,  neglecting 
the  worfliip  of  God;  and  had  it  not  beea 
for  the  prayers  addreffed  to  him  in  the 
fcriptures  and  in  the  antient  liturgies,  he 
would,  I  doubt  not,  have  been  as  much 
overlooked  and  forgotten,  as  if  no  fuch 
being  had  exifted. 

But  on  whatever  principle  this  took 
place,  the  fact  cannot  be  denied,  and  the 
number  of  gods  kept  increafing,  inftead 
of  diminifhing  by  time  and  reflection. 
Orpheus  reckoned  only  as  many  gods  as 
there  were  days  in  the  year,  but  in  the 
time  of  Hefiod,  the  Greeks  had  no  lefs 
than  thirty  thoufand  divinities.  The  Ro 
mans  in  the  time  of  Varro  had  three  hun 
dred  Jupiters,  that  is  the  fame  God  was  wer- 
fhipped  under  fo  many  different  titles,  un 
der  which  he  was  fuppofed  to  poflefs  diffe 
rent  powers,  and  fome  have  reckoned  no 
lefs  than  two  hundred  and  eighty  thoufand 
gods. 

The 


64  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

The  Egyptians,  from  whom  the  Greeks 
originally  received  their  religion,  imagined 
that  particular  animals  were  the  favourites 
of  particular  deities,  and  communicated 
their  powers  to  them.  At  leaft,  they  con- 
fidered  their  feveral  qualities  as  fymbols  of 
divine  power,  and  at  length  paid  a  proper 
worfhip  to  them.  Plutarch  exprefsly  fays, 
that  *'  the  greater  part  of  the  Egyptians 
"  worfhipped  the  animals  themfelves," 
which  he  faid  "  led  fome  to  the  moft  ex- 
"  travagant  fuperftition,  and  precipitated 
"  others  into  atheifm."  Cotta,  in  Cicero, 
fays  that  "  though  there  have  been  many 
"  inftances  of  temples  plundered,  and  the 
"  images  of  the  gods  carried  away,  by 
"  the  Romans,  it  had  never  been  heard 
"  that  a  crocodile,  an  ibis,  or  a  cat,  had 
'.'  been  ill  treated  by  the  Egyptians,"  fo 
far  did  they  carry  their  fuperftitious  re- 
fpeft  for  them. 

Another  fource  of  the  multiplication 
of  deities  was  an  idea  that  particular  fupe- 
rior  beings  prefided  over  particular  cir- 

cumftances 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  65 

cumftances  relating  to  men,  and  their"  af 
fairs,  fo  that  they  had  gods  correfponding 
to  many  abftract  ideas.  Thus  the  Romans 
had  temples  and  altars  dedicated  to  the 
fever,  and  ill  fortune,  and  the  Athenians 
to  contumely  and  impudence.  At  length,  after 
deifying  all  the  parts  of  nature,  and  many 
of  the  qualities  and  properties  of  things, 
they  deified  particular  men,  and  worfhip- 
ped  them  after  their  death.  Nay  the  Ro 
mans,  in  the  time  of  the  emperors,  car 
ried  their  adulation  fo  far  as  to  pay  divine 
honours  to  fome  of  them,  and  thofe  the 
very  worft  of  them,  while  they  were  alive. 
The  heavenly  bodies  being  fometimes 
invifible,  the  heathens  had  recourfe  to  fome 
fymbols  of  their  power,  or  fome  vifible 
object,  to  which  they  imagined  their  powers 
were  in  fome  way  or  other  attached,  and 
to  which  they  could  always  have  recourfe. 
Thefe  were  at  firft  pillars,  or  only  large 
ftones,  confecrated  in  certain  pofitions  of 
thofe  heavenly  bodies,  which  they  wanted 
to  reprefent.  Refining  upon  this,  they 
afterwards  made  ufe  of  the  forms  of  men 

and 
K 


66  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

and  animals  for  that  purpofe.  The  forms 
of  fome  of  their  deities  being  altogether 
unknown,  they  made  ufe  of  fuch  figures 
as  they  conceived  to  be  proper  fymbols  of 
their  powers.  The  idols  of  the  Egyptians 
had  the  heads  of  particular  animals,  as 
that  of  a  dog,  on  the  body,  or  part  of  the 
body  of  a  man.  At  Rome  the  god  Janus 
had  two  faces,  and  the  idols  of  Indoftan 
have  a  great  number  of  arms,  &c.  Hence 
Varro,  fpeaking  of  thefe  images  fays,  that 
"  if  they  had  life,  and  any  perfon  fhould 
"  meet  them  unexpectedly,  they  would 
"  pafs  for  monfters."  He  alfo  cenfures 
the  cruel  and  lafcivious  rites  that  were  in 
troduced  into  the  worfhip  of  feveral  of 
their  gods,  efpecially  of  Cybele ;  yet  he 
fays  that  "  a  wife  man  will  obferve  all 
"  thefe  things,  not  as  acceptable  to  the 
"  gods,  but  as  commanded  by  the  laws," 
and  fpeaking  of  the  "  ignoble  rabble"  as 
he  calls  them  "  of  the  gods,"  which,  he 
fays,  "  the  fuperftition  of  ages  has  heaped 
"  together,"  he  adds,  "  we  fo  adore 
"  them,  as  to  remember  that  this  wor 
fhip 


REVEALED    RELIGION  67 

"  fhip  is  rather  matter  of  cuftom,  than 
"  founded  on  nature  and  truth."  So  far 
were  the  heathen  philofophers,  who  were 
fenfible  of  the  abfurdity  and  pernicious  ten 
dency  of  this  worfhip,  from  being  difpof- 
ed  to  reform  it.  It  was  a  maxim  with 
them,  as  with  the  generality  of  modern 
unbelievers,  to  think  with  the  wife,  and 
ac~l  with  the  vulgar.  But  had  Chrift  and 
his  apoflles  acted  on  this  princple,  we 
fhould  now  have  been  worfhipping  Thor 
and  Woden,  and  imbruing  their  altars 
with  human  blood. 

The  moft  horrid  of  all  the  rites  of  the 
heathen  religion  was  that  of  human  Jacrifoes, 
which,  however,  were  univerfalin  ancient 
times,  and  efpecially  among  the  Canaanites, 
and  in  the  countries  that  bordered  upon 
Paleftine,  as,  indeed,  the  hiftory  of  the  Car 
thaginians,  who  were  defcended  from  the 
Tyrians,  abundantly  proves. 

We  fhall  not  much  wonder  at  the  in 
troduction  of  this  rite,  fhocking  as  it  is  to 
humanity,  when  we  confider  the  deftruc- 
tion  of  life,  and  other  evils  occafionally 

produced 


68  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

produced  by  natural  caufes,  as  by  heat, 
drought,  lightning,  earthquakes,  &c. 
Thefe  the  heathens,  of  courfe,  afcribed 
to  the  agency  of  their  gods.  They  would, 
therefore,  imagine  that  they  were  fome- 
times  very  angry,  and  that  great  facrifices 
were  neceflary  to  appeafe  them.  Appre- 
henfive,  then,  of  greater  evils,  they  wil 
lingly  fubjefled  themfelves  to  thofe  that 
were  lefs. 

In  general,  the  heathens  thought  the 
facrifice  of  flaves  and  captives  would  fa- 
tisfy  the  blood  thirfty  appetites  of  their 
gods ;  but  on  particular  occafions,  fearful 
that  this  would  not  be  deemed  fufficient, 
they  facrificed  the  children  of  the  moft 
diftinguifhed  perfons  in  the  ftate,  as  thofe 
of  their  kings  themfelves.  The  Cartha 
ginians,  after  fome  great  difafter  in  war, 
facrificed  at  one  time  three  hundred  young 
men  of  the  firft  families  in  their  common 
wealth.  In  this  the  Ifraelites,  during  their 
apoftacy  from  their  own  religion,  imitated 
their  heathen  neighbours  as  we  read,  Pfalm 
cvi,  37.  "They  facrificed  their  fens  and  their 

daughters 


REVEALED    RELIGION  69 

daughters  to  demons,  and  Jhed  innocent  blood, 
even  the  Hood  of  their  fons  and  daughters, 
whom  they  facrificed  to  the  idols  of  Canaan.  Jer. 
vii.  3 1 .  They  built  the  high  places  of  Tophet 
'which  is  in  the  valley  of  the  fon  of  Hinnom,  to 
burn  their  fons  and  their  daughters  in  the  fire. 
They  built  alfo  the  high  places  of  Baal,  to  burn 
their  fons  ivith  fire  for  burnt  offerings  unto 
Baal.  This  place  was  called  Tophet,  from 
a  Hebrew  word  which  fignifies  a  drum,  or 
fiftrum,  inftruments  which  made  a  loud 
noife,  which  the  priefts  made  ufe  of  to 
drown  the  cries  of  the  viftims,  as  it  was 
the  cuftom  to  burn  them  alive. 

By  Baal  was  meant  the  fun,  the  prin 
cipal  objeft  of  worfhip  in  all  antient  nations; 
and  as  the  heat  of  the  fun  is  fome times 
very  deftru&ive,  it  is  no  wonder  that  they 
fuppofed  him  to  be  actuated  by  the  paffion 
of  anger.  Lord  Herbert  obferves  that 
vi&ims  of  lefs  dignity  were  deemed  fuffi- 
cient  for  the  inferior  deities,  but  that  to 
their  higheft  god,  the  fun,  human  facri- 
fices,  as  the  moft  valuable,  were  to  be 
offered. 

Human 


;o  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

Human  facrifices  appear  to  have  been 
univerfal  in  antient  times.  They  were  in 
ufe  among  the  Egyptians  till  the  reign  of 
Amafis.  They  were  never  fo  common 
among  the  Greeks  or  Romans ;  yet  with 
them  they  were  in  ufe  on  extraordinary 
occafions.  Porphyry  fays  that  the  Greeks 
were  wont  to  facrifice  men  when  they  went 
to  war.  Clemens  Alexandrinus  fays  that 
both  Erectheus  king  of  Athens,  and  Marius 
the  Roman  general,  facrificed  their  own 
daughters.  Plutarch,  in  his  life  of  The- 
miftocles,  relates  that  three  beautiful  Per- 
fian  women,  richly  habited  and  adorned, 
were,  by  the  advice  of  the  prophet  Eu- 
phrantides,  offered  as  facrifices  to  Bacchus 
Omeftes,  as  a  vow  for  victory  at  the  com 
mencement  of  the  Perfian  war;  and  though 
Themiftocles  was  {hocked  at  the  inhuma 
nity  of  it,  the  people  with  one  voice, 
invoking  Bacchus,  and  bringing  the  victims 
to  the  altar,  compelled  him  to  perform  the 
facrifice. 

The  fame  hiftorian  fays  that  the  Ro 
mans,  in  the  beginning  of  a  war  with  the 

Gauls, 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  71 

Gauls,  and  in  obedience  to  an  oracle  in 
the  Sybilline  books,  buried  alive  a  Gaulifh 
man  and  a  Gaulifh  woman,  and  alfo  a 
Greek  man  and  a  Greek  woman,  in  the  ox 
market  by  way  of  facrifice.  Livy  fays  that 
they  repeated  this  facrifice  at  the  begin 
ning  of  the  fecond  Punic  war. 

Human  facrifices  were  offered  at  Rome, 
fays  Porphyry,  till  the  reign  of  Adrian, 
who  ordered  them  to  be  abolifhed  in  mod 
places.  This  writer,  who  lived  in  the  time 
of  Diocletian,  mentions  it  as  a  thing  well 
known,  that  in  the  city  of  Rome  itfelf  a 
man  was  wont  to  be  facrificed  at  the  feaft 
of  Jupiter  Latiaris.  Laftantius,  who  wrote 
a  little  after  this,  fays  that  the  fame  was 
praftifed  in  his  time.  Human  facrifices 
were  fo  numerous  among  the  Gauls  and 
Britons,  that  the  Romans  forbad  the  pub 
lic  exercife  of  their  religion.  According 
to  Caefar  (De  Bello  Gallico,  lib.  6.  §  15) 
they  fometimes  made  images  of  an  im- 
menfe  fize,  conftru&ed  of  wicker  work, 
which  they  filled  with  men,  and  then 
burned  them  alive. 

In 


;a  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

In  later  times  we  find  human  facrifices 
as  numerous  among  the  Mexicans  and 
Peruvians,  who,  of  all  the  inhabitants  of 
America,  had  arrived  at  the  greateft 
degree  of  civilization,  as  in  any  of  the 
antient  nations.  The  moft  authentic  re 
cord  fays  that  the  Mexicans  facrificed 
annually  twenty  thoufand  men,  and  at 
the  dedication  of  their  great  temple,  not 
lefs  than  fixty  or  feventy  thoufand.  If 
any  perfon  will  only  read  with  attention 
die  hiflory  of  this  country  by  Clavigero, 
he  will  be  convinced  that  fuch  was  the 
rooted  attachment  of  that  people  to  their 
religion  in  general,  and  this  horrid  rite 
in  particular,  that  nothing  but  fuch  a  con- 
queft  of  them  as  that  by  the  Spaniards, 
would  ever  have  put  an  end  to  that  cuftom. 
His  account  of  the  ftate  of  facts  will  abun 
dantly  juftify  the  conduct  of  divine  provi 
dence  in  the  utter  extirmination  of  the 
inhabitants  of  Canaan.  It  was  for  the 
good  of  mankind  that  fuch  nations  fhould 
be  extirpated  from  the  face  of  the  earth. 


If 


REVEALED  RELIGION.  73 

If  any  perfons  will  fay  that  the  author 
of  nature  could  not  give  a  commiffion, 
which  they  think  to  have  been  fo  cruel  and 
unjuft,  let  them  fay  whether  the  author 
of  nature  does  not  continually  do  things 
which  they  themfelves  muft  fay  are  more 
cruel  and  unjuft ;  as  the  promifcuous  de- 
ftruction  of  perfons  of  all  ages  and  cha 
racters  by  peftilence  and  famine,  by 
hurricanes  and  earthquakes,  as  alfo  by 
difeafes  and  death,  which  are  univerfal. 
Did  not  the  author  of  nature  clearly  fore- 
fee  thefe  calamities,  and  therefore  intend 
that  they  fhould  take  place  ?  And  where 
is  the  difference,  in  a  moral  view7,  between 
doing  any  thing  by  laws  of  his  appointment, 
or  by  a  fpecial  commiffion.  The  thing  to 
be  objected  to  is  the  ultimate  event,  not 
the  means  by  which  it  was  effecled.  In 
facl,  they  who  make  this  objection,  and 
others  of  a  fimilar  nature,  firft  form  to 
themfelves  an  idea  of  the  author  of 
nature  from  their  own  imagination,  and 
not  from  the  obfervation  of  his  works, 
which  is  the  only  method  of  forming  a  juft 

idea 


74  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

idea  of  any  character,  and  then  pronounce 
that  fuch  and  fuch  things  as  they  wifh 
to  have  been  otherwife  are  incompatible 
with  his  character.  Befides,  the  firmeft 
believer  in  the  divine  benevolence  (and 
juftice,  ftridtly  confidered,  is  only  a  modi 
fication  and  branch  of  benevolence)  will 
fay  that  any  kind  or  degree  of  evil  that 
may,  dire£tly  or  indiredtly,  be  productive 
of  a  greater  good,  is  compatible  with  it, 
and  of  this  ultimate  tendency  of  things 
God  himfelf,  and  not  man,  is  the  judge. 
This  conduct,  however,  is  not  to  be  imitated 
by  man,  on  account  of  the  imperfection  of 
our  knowledge.  We  muft  not  do  evil  that 
good  may  come,  though  this  is  conftantly  done 
by  the  Divine  Being,  becaufe  we  cannot 
tell  whether  the  evil  'will  be  productive  of 
good,  whereas,  he  always  knows  the  end 
from  the  very  beginning,  and  therefore 
cannot  be  miftaken  with  refpeft  to  the 
final  refult. 

Befides  the  horrid  cuftom  of  human 
facrifices,  which  were  thought  to  be  ne- 
ceflary  to  appeafe  the  wrath  of  fome  of 

the 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  75 

the  heathen  deities,  they  had  other  rites, 
which,  though  they  did  not  terminate  in 
death,  were  extremely  painful.  The  priefts 
of  Baal,  as  we  read,  i  Kings  xviii.  28. 
cut  and  flafoed  themfehes  'with  knives  and 
lancets  till  the  blood  gujhed  out,  when  they 
were  defirous  of  getting  a  favourable 
anfwer  from  him.  The  fame,  according 
to  Herodotus,  was  praclifed  in  the  worfhip 
of  Ifis,  an  Egyptian  deity,  and  of  Bellona 
among  the  Romans.  Alfo  in  the  feftivals 
of  Cybele,  called  the  mother  of  the  gods,  the 
priefts,  who  were  caftrated,  made  hideous 
noifes  and  howlings,  and  cut  themfelves 
till  the  blood  gufhed  out.  The  worfhip 
of  this  goddefs  was  introduced  from  the 
Eaft  to  Rome.  At  a  feftival  in  Sparta  boys 
were  whipped  with  fo  much  feverity,  on 
an  altar  of  Diana  (the  prieftefs  attending 
to  fee  that  it  was  done  in  a  proper  man 
ner)  that  they  often  died  in  confequence 
of  it.  When  this  was  the  cafe,  and  the 
boys  had  borne  the  torture  with  fufficient 
fortitude,  they  had  the  honour  of  a  public 
funeral,  as  having  died  in  the  fervice  of 

their 
L  2 


76  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

their  country.  This  cuftom  was  inftituted 
by  Lycurgus,  the  great  Spartan  lawgiver, 
in  exchange  for  the  facrifice  of  a  man 
every  year  at  the  fame  altar,  the  oracle 
having  only  declared  that  the  altar  of  that 
goddefs  mufl  be  fprinkled  with  human 
blood.  There  was  alfo  an  altar  of  Bacchus 
in  Arcadia,  on  which  many  young  women 
were  beaten  with  rods  till  they  died. 

The  rites  of  heathen  religions  now  or 
lately  exifting,  are  as  cruel  as  thofe  of  any 
of  the  antients.  In  Indoftan  it  is  frequent, 
and  deemed  particularly  meritorious,  for 
widows  to  be  burned  alive  with  the  bo 
dies  of  their  hufbands,  and  their  Faquirs 
voluntarily  undergo  fuch  tortures  as  it  is 
painful  to  read  of.  They  will  often  con 
tinue  fo  long  in  the  moft  conftrained  pof- 
tures,  that  their  limbs  are  incapable  of 
any  motion ;  fo  that  they  remain  fo  until 
they  die,  their  wants  fupplied,  and  their 
prayers  requefted,  by  great  numbers  of 
perfons.  Sometimes,  having  ftrong  iron 
hooks,  thruft  through  the  fkin  of  their 
backs,  they  get  themfelves  to  be  drawn 

up, 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  77 

up,  and  whirled  round  in  the  air,  with 
the  greateft  violence,  by  means  of  a  ma 
chine  conftru&ed  for  the  purpofe.  The 
Mexicans,  accuftomed  to  the  bloody  facri- 
fice  of  their  prifoners,  "  failed  not,"  fays 
Clavigero,  "  to  ihed  abundance  of  their 
"  own  blood.  It  makes  one  fhudder  to 
"  read  of  the  aufterities  which  on  fome 
"  occafions  they  exercifed  on  themfelves, 
"  either  as  an  atonement  for  their  fins,  or 
"  a  preparation  for  their  more  folemn 
"  feftivalso  They  mangled  their  flefh  as 
"  if  they  had  been  infenfible  to  pain,  and 
"  let  out  their  blood  in  the  greateft  pro- 
"  fufion.  This  was  pra&ifed  every  day 
"  by  fome  of  their  priefts.  They  pierced 
"  themfelves  with  the  {harp  fpines  of  aloes, 
"  and  thruft  them  through  feveral  parts 
"  of  their  bodies,  making  the  holes  larger 
"  on  every  repetition  of  the  operation. 
"  They  had  alfo  fevere  watchings  and 
"  fallings  in  their  religious  rites." 

At  the  faft  of  the  Tlafcalans,  which 
lafted  one  hundred  and  fixty  days  "  the 
66  chief  prieft,  attended  by  about  two 

"  hundred 


78  THE     EVIDENCES    OF 

"  hundred  perfons  afcended  a  high  moun- 
"  tain,  and  when  they  defcended,  they  had 
"  a  number  of  little  knives,  and  a  great 
"  quantity  of  fmall  rods  delivered  to  them. 
"  The  firft  day  they  bored  holes  through 
"  their  tongues,  through  which  they  drew 
"  the  rods,  and  notwithftanding  the  ex- 
"  ceflive  pain,  and  lofs  of  blood  occafion- 
"  ed  by  it,  they  were  obliged  to  fing 
"  aloud  hymns  to  their  gods.  This  cruel 
"  operation  was  repeated  every  twenty 
"  days.  When  eighty  days  of  this  faft 
"  of  the  priefts  was  elapfed,  a  general 
"  faft  of  the  people,  from  which  the 
"  heads  of  the  republic  were  not  exempt- 
"  ed,  began,  and  was  continued  an  equal- 
"  ly  long  time." 

Inconfiftent  as  it  may  feem  to  have 
been  with  this  aufterity,  other  rites  of  the 
antient  heathen  religions,  and  thofe  which 
occurred  the  moft  frequently,  encouraged, 
and  indeed  required,  the  extreme  of  fen- 
fual  indulgence ;  and  fometimes  that  of 
the  moft  unnatural  kind.  It  is  not  eafy 
to  fay  by  what  particular  train  of  thinking 

they 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  79 

they  were  led  to  conclude  that  fuch  prac- 
tifes  as  thefe  could  be  pleafing  to  the  gods, 
but  foine  of  thofe  deities  that  were  to  be 

appeafed  by  human  facrifices  were  fuppofed 

» 

to  be  no  lefs  pleafed  to  fee  their  worfhip- 
pers  indulge  themfelves  in  whatever  could 
gratify  their  appetites;  and  their  groves, 
and  the  temples  themfelves,  were  fcenes 
of  open  proftitution. 

It  is  well  known  that,  in  general,  the 
heathens  afcribed  to  their  gods  the  paffions 
and  actions  of  men,  and  too  many  of  the 
oriental  princes,  and  thofe  the  moft  cele 
brated  for  their  warlike  and  other  exploits, 
gave  into  the  extreme  of  both  cruelty  and 
luft.  It  is  poffible,  however,  that  the  in 
decent  fymbols  of  their  worfhip,  which 
might  be  originally  defigned  to  reprefent 
what  is,  no  doubt,  the  moft  remarkable 
circumftance  in  the  conftitution  of  nature, 
viz.  its  reproductive  power,  or  that  of  gene 
ration,  might  lead  to  thofe  acts  of  lewd- 
nefs  with  which  the  heathen  worfhip 
abounded.  And,  incredible  as  it  may  ap 
pear  to  us,  figures  which  cannot  be 

named 


So  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

named  with  decency,  were  expofed  and 
carried  about  in  thefe  facred  proceflions, 
hymns  were  fung  to  them,  and  religious 
worfhip  paid  to  them.  This  was  done  by 
the  Egyptians,  and  moft  other  antient  na 
tions,  efpecially  the  Greeks,  who  borrow 
ed  the  cuftom  from  them*. 

To  recite  the  particulars  of  the  inde 
cencies  of  the  heathen  worfhip  would  be 
difgufting,  and  the  account  could  hardly 
be  given  in  language  proper  for  a  public 
aflembly ;  but  as  fomething  of  this  kind  is 
become  neceflary,  in  order  to  give  a  juft 
idea  of  the  ftate  of  fafts  which  have  been 
ftrongly  difguifed  by  unbelievers,  and  to 
fhew  the  great  fuperiority  of  revealed 
religion  to  that  which  almoft  all  mankind 
naturally  fell  into,  I  muft,  be  excufed 
if,  for  the  fake  of  thofe  who  may  have 

*  Lucian,  a  heathen  writer,  fays  that,  in  the  portico  of 
the  temple  at  Hierapolis,  which  ftood  on  an  hill,  there  was 
a  tower  three  hundred  cubits  high,  built  in  that  indecent 
form,  to  the  top  of  which  a  man  afcended  twice  a  year,  where 
he  continued  feven  days,  that  he  might  with  more  advantage 
converfe  with  the  gods  above.  In  the  worfhip  of  the  people 
of  Indoftan,  figures  even  more  mocking  to  modefty  than 
thofe  of  the  antient  weftern  nations  are  now  made  ufe  of. 

been 


RDVEALLD    RELIGION  8r 

been  mifled  by  fuch  writers  as  Voltaire 
and  others,  (who  have  fmoothed  over  the 
enormities  of  the  heathan  worihip)  recite 
as  many  particulars  as  may  be  neceflary  to 
give  you  an  idea  of  the  general  characler 
of  the  fyftem,  which  they  reprefent  as 
perfectly  innocent,  and  no  tat  all  unfavour 
able  to  purity  of  morals,  their  feftivals,  as 
Voltaire  fays,  being  only  feafons  of  rejoic 
ing,  which  could  not  be  prejudicial  to 
mankind.  This  would  be  true  if  their 
feftivals  had  been  nothing  more  than  fea 
fons  of  rejoicing.  But  judge  for  yourfelves, 
whether  they  were  not  fomething  more. 

That  lewdnefs  was  a  part  of  the  an- 
tient  heathen  worfhip,  is  evident  from  the 
account  that  Mofes  gives  of  that  of  Baal 
Peor,  to  which  the  Ifraelites  were  inticed 
by  the  Moabites  and  Midianites.  For  du 
ring  that  feftival,  Phinehas  aflerted  the 
honour  of  his  religion  by  killing  a  man 
and  a  woman  in  the  very  aft  of  fornica 
tion;  which,  from  the  narrative,  appears  to 
have  been  committed  without  any  conceal 
ment.  For  wre  read,  Numb.  xxv.  6.  Aid 

behold 


8*  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

behold  one  of  the  children  of  Ifrael  came,  and 
brought  unto  his  brethren  a  Midianitijb  -woman, 
in  the  fight  of  Mofes,  .and  in  the  fight  of  all 
the  congregation  of  the  children  of  Ifrael,  -who 
were  weeping  before  the  door  of  the  tabernacle 
of  the  congregation;  and  when  Phinehas  the  fon 
of  Eleazar  the  fon  of  Aaron  the  priejl  faw  it, 
he  arofe  up  from  among  the  congregation,  and 
took  a  javelin  in  his  hand,  and  he  went  after 
the  man  of  Ifrael  into  the  tent,  and  thntjl  both 
of  them  ihrough,  the  man  of  Ifrael  and  the 
woman,  through  her  belly.  Now  the  name  of 
the  Ifrael  lie  who  was  jlain  was  Zimri  the  jbn 
of  Salu,  a  prince  of  the  chief  houfe  among 
the  Simeonites,  and  the  name  of  the  Midianitijh 
woman  that  was  Jlain  was  Cozbi  the  daughter  of 
Zur,  who  was  head  over  a  people,  and  of  a 
chief  houfe  in  Midi  an. 

This  worihip  of  Baal-Peor,  if  we  may 
credit  feveral  antient  writers,  confifted  in 
fuch  obfcene  practices,  or  poftures  at  leaft, 
as  are  not  fit  to  be  mentioned  ;  fo  that  it  is 
not  eafy  to  fay  whether  they  were  more 
ridiculous,  or  impure.  Hofea  fays  of  this 
worfhip,  ch.  xi.  10.  They  went  unto  Baal- 
Peor, 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  83 

Peor,  and  feparated  themfelves  unto  their 
Jhame ;  and  tkeir  abominations  'were  according 
as  they  loved,  or,  as  the  Biftiop  of  Water- 
ford  renders  it,  and  became  abominable  as 
the  objects  of  their  love,  or  worfhip. 

The  farther  we  go  back  into  antiquity 
or  fo  much  nearer  to  the  time  of  Mofes, 
the  more  undifguifed  were  thefe  fhameful 
practices.  It  appears  from  Herodotus, 
the  oldeft  Greek  hiftorian,  that  the  temples 
of  the  heathen  gods  had  been  univerfally 
places  of  proftitution.  For  he  fays  the 
Egyptians  were  the  firft  who  forbad  it  in 
their  temples.  He  fays  that  all  other  na 
tions,  except  the  Greeks  (who  borrowed 
much  of  their  religion  from  the  Egyp 
tians)  fcrupled  not  to  perform  thofe  ac 
tions  in  the  temples.  Nor  did  the  Greeks 
wholly  abftain  from  them.  For  when 
Antiochus  Epiphanes  converted  the  temple 
at  Jerufalem,  into  a  temple  of  Jupiter 
Olympius,  we  read,  2  Mac.  vi.  4.  The  tem 
ple  was  filled  with  riot  and  revelling  by  the 
Gentiles,  who  dallied  with  harlots,  and  had  to 
do  with  women,  within  the  circuit  of  the  holy 
places.  Julius 


84  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

Julius  Firmicus  fays  that,  after  the 
feafon  of  mourning,  with  which  the  princi 
pal  feftival  of  the  oriental  nations  com 
menced,  the  reft  of  the  time  was  fpent 
with  every  expreffion  of  mirth  and  jollity, 
to  which  they  added  the  moft  abominable 
debauchery,  adultery,  and  inceft.  Thefe 
were  conftantly  praclifed  in  their  groves 
and  temples*. 

Surely,  then,  we  may  fay,  with  the 
apoftle  in  my  text,  that,  as  a  puniihment 
for  men's  apoftacy  from  his  worfhip,  God 
gave  up  the  heathen  'world  to  vile  affettions ; 
and  that  there  was  infinite  wifdom  and 
goodnefs  in  the  Jewiih  and  Chriftian  dif- 
penfations,  in  which  we  are  taught  a  mode 
of  worfhip  worthy  of  a  pure  and  holy 
God,  a  religion  the  great  object  of  which 
is  the  pureft  morality,  and  in  which  all 
the  abominations  of  the  heathen  worfhip 
are  treated  with  juft  abhorrence.  For 
our  unfpeakable  happinefs  in  being  favour- 

•*  "  In  what  temple,"  fays  Juvenal,  a  Roman  heathen  poet, 
"  are  not  women  debauched?"     Quo  non  proftat  femina  templeo. 

SAT.  ix.  24. 

ed 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  85 

ed  with  thefe  revelations,  we  cannot  be 
too  thankful.  But  I  muft  defer  the  far 
ther  confideration  of  thefe,  and  other  en 
ormities  of  the  heathen  worfhip,  with 
which  the  generality  of  chriftians  are  little 
acquainted,  but  which  you  muft  be  fen- 
fible,  it  is  highly  ufeful  for  them  to  know, 
though  difgufting  to  contemplate,  to  an 
other  difcourfe,  with  which  I  fhall  con 
clude  this  part  of  my  fubjeft. 


DISCOURSE     IV. 

A  View  of  Heathen  Wor/hip, 


For  the  wrath  of  God  is  revealed  from  heaven  againft  all 
ungodlinefs  and  unrighteoufnefs  of  men,  who  hold  the 
truth  in  unrighteoufnefs.  Becaufe  that  which  may  be 
known  of  God  is  manifeft  in  them,  for  God  hath  fhewed 
it  unto  them.  For  the  invilible  things  of  him,  from  the 
creation  of  the  world,  are  clearly  feen,  being  underftood 
by  the  things  that  are  made,  even  his  eternal  power  and 
godhead,  fo  that  they  are  without  excufe.  Becaufe  that 
when  they  knew  God,  they  glorified  him  not  as  God, 
neither  were  thankful,  but  became  vain  in  their  imagina 
tions,  and  their  foolilh  heart  was  darkened.  Profefling 
themfelves  to  be  wife,  they  became  fools,  and  changed  the 
glory  of  the  incorruptible  God,  into  an  image  made  like 
to  corruptible  man,  and  to  birds  and  fourfooted  beafts, 
and  creeping  things.  Wherefore  alfo  God  gave  them  up 
to  uncleannefs,  through  the  lufls  of  their  own  hearts,  to 
dimonour  their  own  bodies  between  themfelves,  A* ho 
changed  the  truth  of  God  into  a  lie,  and  worfhipped  and 
ferved  the  creature  more  than  the  Creator,  who  is  blefTed  for 
ever.  For  this  caufe  God  gave  them  up  to  vile  affections. 

ROMANS,  i.  18—26. 

JL  HE  moft  plaufible  objections  made 
to  the  fyftem  of  revelation,  and  thofe  by 
which  perfons  who  have  no  knowledge  of 
antiquity  are  moft  liable  to  be  impreffed, 

are 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  8; 

are  thofe  which  relate  to  the  Jewilh 
religion,  and  the  books  of  the  Old  Tefta- 
ment,  with  which  the  generality  of  Chrif- 
tians  are  too  little  acquainted.  Voltaire, 
and  other  unbelievers,  are  more  particu 
larly  fond  of  reprefenting  the  inftitutions 
of  Mofes  as  unreafonably  intolerant,  with 
reipeft  to  the  heathens  who,  they  fay,  only 
differed  from  the  Hebrews  in  religious 
opinions.  It  therefore  behoves  thofe  who 
undertake  the  defence  of  revealed  religion 
to  fhew,  what  it  is  very  eafy  to  do,  that 
antient  heathenifm  was  by  no  means  a 
mere  fyftem  of  fpeculative  opinions,  and 
innocent  practices;  but  that,  beiides  being 
abfurd  in  the  extreme,  it  really  promoted 
the  moft  deftruclive  and  the  moft  execra 
ble  vices,  and  that  the  religion  of  the 
Hebrews  was  free  from  every  tendency 
of  the  kind,  and  infinitely  fuperior  to  it 
in  every  other  refpecl. 

In  my  laft  difcourfe  I  gave  you  an  idea 
of  fome  of  the  enormities  of  the  heathen 
religion,  fuch  as,  though  well  known  to 
the  learned,  are  not  fo  to  the  generality  of 

Chriftians, 


88  THE     EVIDENCES    OF 

Chriftians,  and  yet  without  this  knowledge 
it  is  impoffible  that  they  can  have  a  juft 
idea  of  the  value  of  their  own  religion,  or 
a  right  underftanding  of  the  fcriptures, 
efpecially  thofe  of  the  Old  Teftament,  in 
which  there  are  perpetual  allufions  to  the 
principles  and  rites  of  the  heathen  worfhip. 
I  particularly  mentioned  the  multiplicity 
of  the  heathen  deities,  the  vile  characters 
of  many  of  them,  the  horrid  rite  of  human 
facrifices,  the  painful  aufterities  to  which 
their  religion  fubjected  them,  and  the 
open  proftitution  which  was  encouraged 
by  it,  and  praftifed  in  their  very  temples ; 
and  in,  fupport  of  my  reprefentations,  I  re 
cited  a  variety  of  facts,  from  the  authority 
of  the  fcriptures,  and  other  antient  writ 
ings.  Had  I  contented  myfelf  with  ex 
claiming  in  general  terms  only  againft  the 
religion  of  the  heathens,  faying  of  it,  as 
Voltaire  does  of  the  religion  of  the  Jews, 
that  it  was  an  execrable  fuperftition,  without 
reciting  any  of  the  circumftances  which 
fhew  it  to  have  been  fuch,  all  that  you 
could  have  inferred  would  have  been,  that 

I  was 


REVEALED  RELIGION.  89 

was  defirous  of  impreffing  your  minds 
with  an  abhorrence  of  that  religion,  but 
then  you  would  have  had  no  knowledge  of 
the  reafons  why  it  deferved  that  abhor 
rence,  and  therefore  might  have  paid  no 
regard  to  my  unfupported  reprefentation. 

My  laft  difcourfe  concluded  with 
obferving  that  a  moft  prominent  feature 
in  the  religion  of  the  antient  heathens, 
was  the  encouragement  it  gave  to 
lewdnefs,  and  this  continued  with  increafe, 
when,  in  the  progrefs  of  civilization,  the 
cruel  rite  of  human  facrifices,  and  their 
painful  aufterities,  became  lefs  frequent. 
For  this  reafon  the  apoftle  Paul,  in  the 
chapter  which  contains  my  text,  and  in 
other  parts  of  his  epiftles,  particularly 
dwells  upon  it. 

On  this  fubject  I  lhall  only  mention 
one  more  circumftance,  which  is  ieveral 
times  mentioned,  or  alluded  to,  in  the 
fcriptures.  It  is  that  a  confiderable 
revenue  arofe  to  many  of  the  heathen 
temples,  as  is  now  the  cafe  in  Indoftan, 
from  the  proftitution  that  was  encouraged 
M  in 


90  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

in  them,  or  in  places  provided  for  that 
abominable  purpofe  adjoining  to  them. 
The  Divine  Being,  alluding  to  this  prac 
tice  of  the  heathens,  fays,  by  Mofes,  Deut. 
xxiii.  1 8.  Thou  Jhalt  not  bring  the  hire  of  a 
harlot  into  the  boufe  of  the  Lord  thy  God.  There 
/hall  be  no  harlot  of  the  daughters  of  Ifrael,  nor 
a  Sodomite  of  the  fens  of  Ifrael.  For,  in 
credible  as  it  may  appear  to  us,  who  have 
had  the  happinefs  of  being  educated  in  the 
principles  of  the  pureft  of  all  religions, 
even  unnatural  pollution  was  allowed,  and 
encouraged,  in  the  religion  of  the  antient 
heathens.  For  this  we  have  the  clear  evi 
dence  of  the  fcriptures,  as  well  as  of  many 
antient  writers.  Concerning  the  pious  king 
jofiah,  we  read,  2  Kings,  xxiii.  7.  that 
be  brake  down  the  houfes  of  the  Sodomites  that 
were  by  the  houfe  of  the  Lord,  where  the  wo 
man  wove  hangings  for  the  grove,  or  rather 
for  Ajlerotb,  or  Aftarte,  a  famous  Syrian 
goddefs*. 

Befides 

*  Herodotus  informs  us  that  at  Babylon,  a  city  the  moft 
devoted  to  the  worfhip  of  idols  of  ail  the  nations  of  antiquity 
every  woman  was  obliged  once  in  her  life  to  proftitute  her- 

felf 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  91 

In  the  time  of  Conftantine,  and  no 
doubt  from  times  of  the  moft  remote  an 
tiquity,  the  Egyptians  had  religious  rites 
in  which  fodomy  was  pra£tifed,  and  they 
imagined  that  the  rife  of  the  Nile  depend 
ed  on  the  obfervance  of  them.  Thefe  this 
Chriftian  emperor  ordered  to  be  difconti- 
nued ;  and  whereas  the  fuperftitious  hea 
thens 

felf  to  fome  ftranger  In  the  temple  of  Venus.  Becaufe  the 
moft  wealthy  difdained  to  expofe  themfelves  in  public, 
among  the  reft,  they  went  in  covered  chariots  to  the  gates 
of  the  temple,  with  a  numerous  train  of  fervants  attending 
at  a  diftance  But  the  far  greater  part  went  into  the  temple 
itfelf,  and  fat  down  covered  with  garlands.  The  galleries  in 
which  they  fat  were  in  a  ftraight  line,  and  open  on  every 
fide,  that  all  ftrangers  might  have  free  paffage  to  chufe  fuch 
as  they  liked  beft.  The  beautiful  women,  he  fays,  were 
foon  difmiifed  ;  but  the  deformed  were  fometimes  obliged  to 
wait  three  or  four  days  before  they  could  fatisfy  the  law. 
The  perfon  who  made  choice  of  any  of  them  made  her 
a  prefent,  which  was  facred  to  the  deity,  and  could  not  be 
refufed,  though  ever  fo  fmall. 

The  fame  hiftorian  fays  that  the  women  of  Cyprus  had  a 
cuftom  not  unlike  this  of  the  Babylonians.  There  was  the 
like  in  the  temple  of  Venus  at  Sicca  in  Africa,  at  Corinth, 
and  at  Comana  in  Cappadocia.  In  the  temple  of  Venus  at 
Aphaca,  on  mount  Libanus,  there  was  a  kind  of  academy 
of  lewdnefs,  open  to  all  debauched  perfons,  where  the  moft 
beaftly  crimes  were  committed  in  the  temple,  as  a  privileged 
place,  exempt  from  all  law  and  government.  The  ludt 
/^forokratRome  were  celebrated  by  a  company  of  proftitutes, 

who 
M  2 


9s  .THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

thens  had  imagined  that  the  confequence  of 
this  fuppreffion  would  be  that  the  river 
would  not  rife  as  ufual,  the  Chriftians  faid 
it  rofe  higher  than  before. 

Sodomy,  fays  Julius  Firmicus,  who 
wrote  in  the  time  of  the  fons  of  Conftaii- 
tine,  was  then  practifed  in  the  temple  of 
Juno.  He  adds  that  they  were  fo  far  from 
being  afhamed  of  it,  that  they  gloried  in 
it.  And  it  appears  from  various  writers, 
that  the  gains  of  this  abominable  kind  of 
proftitution  were  a  fource  of  revenue  to 
the  heathen  temples,  as  well  as  thofe  of 
the  women  who  belonged  to  them.  And 
yet  of  this  religion  Voltaire  fays  that  "  it 

who  ran  up  and  clown  naked,  uling  the  moft  lafcivious  pof- 
tures.  The  temple  of  Venus  at  Corinth  maintained  above 
a  thoufand  proftitutes,  facred  to  her  fervice,  and  what  they  got 
was  given  to  the  goddeis.  The  lame  is  the  cafe  at  this  day 
with  refpeft  to  many  of  the  temples  in  Indoftan.  Ta vernier 
fays  there  is  a  Pagod  near  Cambaye,  where  women  profti- 
tute  themfelves,  and  Marco  Polo  lays  that  the  like  cuftom 
prevailed  at  Camul ;  and  that  when  it  was  forbidden  by  the 
Mahometan  prince  Mongou  Khan,  and  the  order  had  been 
obeyed  three  years,  the  people  fent  deputies  to  get  it  repealed, 
as  they  faid  that  tjieir  fields  had  not  been  fo  fruitful  as  they 
had  been  before. 

"  could 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  493 

"   could  not  be  of  any  prejudice  to •  man- 
"  kind."* 

Befides  the  rites  which  were  performed 
•in  public,  and  at  which  all  perfons  were 
permitted,  and  often  required,  to  be  pre- 
fent,  there  were  in  the  antient  heathen 
religions,  rites  of  a  private  nature,  to  which 
none  were  admitted  but  under  an  oath 
of  fecrecy,  the  violation  of  which  was 
deemed  to  be  the  greateft  aft  of  impiety. 
Some  have  fuppofed  that  the  defign  of 
thefe  myfteries,  as  thofe  rites  were  called, 

*   How  the  rites  of  the  goddefs  Cybele  operated  as  an  in 
centive  to  lewdnefs  may  befeen  in  Juvenal,  Sat.  vi.  313.  &c. 

That  thefe  practices  thus  fan£tioned  t>y  religion,  had  a 
fatal  influence  jon  the  public  opinion  and  the  public  morals, 
is' evident  from  the  writings  of  the  heathens,  efpecially  thofe 
of  the  poets,  which  abound  with  the  moll  difguifting  obfceni- 
ties.  One  of  the  moft  admired  eclogues  of  Virgil,  who  is 
efteemed  the  chafteft  of  the  Roman  poets,  celebrates  the  love 
of  a  man  to  a  boy,  and  the  only  remaining,  and  much  ad 
mired  poem,  of  the  Greek  poetefs  Sappho,  defcribes  that  of  a 
woman  to  a  woman,  which  is  an  abundant  confirmation  of 
what  to  us  appears  moft  incredible  in  the  apoftle  Paul's  repre- 
fentation  of  the  depravity  of  the  Gentile  world.  And  with 
the  difbelief  of  revelation  we  find  in  fad,  that  the  juft  abhor 
rence  which  all  the  Chriftian  world  entertain  for  thefe  un 
natural  vice*  difappears ;  a  proof  of  which  might  be  given  in 
feme. well  authenticated  anecdotes  of  the  late  king  of  Pruflia, 
but  not  to  be  related  in  this  place. ' 

was 


94  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

was  to  mew  the  abfurdity  of  the  popular 
worihip ;  but  this  is  in  the  higheft  degree 
improbable.  Indeed,  nothing  which  ftiould 
have  been  fufpefted  to  have  that  tendency 
would  have  been  borne  with,  and  they 
who  made  the  greateft  account  of  thefe 
myfteries  were  the  moft  devoted  to  the 
popular  fuperftitions.  The  moft  probable 
opinion  is,  that  whatever  was  the  original 
intention  of  thefe  private  myfteries,  they 
became  a  fcene  of  fuch  exhibitions  and 
practices,  as  were  worfe  than  any  that 
were  tranfafted  in  public. 

Socrates,  the  moft  moral  of  all  the 
heathen  philofophers,  and  the  leaft  attached 
to  the  vulgar  fuperftition,  would  never  be 
initiated  into  thefe  myfteries.  In  the  time 
of  Cicero  the  very  term  myfteries  was  al- 
moft  fynonymous  to  abominations,  and  we 
may  well  fuppofe  what  the  nature  of 
them  muft  have  been  when  it  is  known 
that  they  were  celebrated  in  the  night, 
in  honour  of  Bacchus,  Venus,  or  Cupid, 
and  that  indecent  images  were  carried  in 
proceffion  in  them,  fo  that  they  could  not 

fail 


REVEALED     RELIGION.  9; 

fail  to  countenance  that  impurity,  and  dif- 
folutenefs  of  manners,  which  was  fo  general 
in  the  Pagan  world.  To  thefe  myfteries 
it  is  moft  probable  that  Paul  refers,  when 
he  fays,  Ephef.  v.  12.  //  is  a  Jkame  even  to 
(peak  of  thofe  things  'which  are  done  by  them  in 
fecret.  Clemens  Alexandrinus  called  thefe 
myfteries,  "  the  myfteries  of  atheiftical 
men,"  adding,  "  I  may  rightly  call  them 
"  atheifts,  who  are  deftitute  of  the  know- 
"  ledge  of  him  who  is  truly  God,  and  who 
"  moft  impudently  worihip  a  boy  torn  in 
"  pieces  by  the  Titans,  women  lamenting, 
"  and  the  parts  which  modefty  forbids 
"  to  name."  A  Roman  conful  difcover- 
ed  that  "  the  Bacchanalian  myfteries 

% 

"  confifted  of  fuch  things  as  the  moft  un- 
"  bounded  proftitution  could  exhibit  in 
"  private  and  nofturnal  affemblies,  that  no 
"  perfon  could  be  initiated  into  them 
**  without  renouncing  his  modefty,  while 
"  the  priefts  who  prefided  over  them  pre- 
"  fcribed  in  public,  to  thofe  who  were  to 
"  be  admitted  to  them,  a  ten  days 
"  abftinence."  Conftantine,  who  forbad 

the 


96  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

the  practice  of  fodomy  in  the  religious 
rites  of  the  Egyptians,  forbad  all  fecret 
rites  of  initiation  in  all  the  Roman  empire. 
But  there  is  no  occafion  to  pry  into  the 
fecret  myfteries  of  the  heathen  religion 
for  fcenes  fufficiently  mocking  to  decency. 
Public  games  and  plays,  in  which  the  fla 
gitious  actions  of  the  heathen  gods  were 
reprefented,  were  always  confidered  as  acts 
of  religion,  and  celebrated  in  their  honour, 
though  fome  of  the  wifer  of  the  antients 
were  afliamed  of  thefe  exhibitions.  Cicero, 
fpeaking  of  the  adulteries  of  Jupiter,  his 
ravilhing  the  boy  Ganymede,  and  carry 
ing  him  off  to  be  his  cup-bearer,  fays, 
<c  Homer  feigned  thefe  things,  and  afcrib- 
"  ed  human  actions  and  qualities  to  the 
"  gods.  1  had  rather  that  he  had  raifed 
"  man  to  the  imitation  of  what  is  divine." 
It  is  not,  however,  true  that  Homer  in 
vented  thofe  ftories.  He  only  introduced 
into  his  poems  what  was  generally  believed 
in  his  time.  "  The  fame  gods,"  fays 
Auftin,  "  that  were  ridiculed  on  the  thea- 
"  tre,  were  adored  in  the  temples."  And 

what 


REVEALED    RELIGION  97 

what  is  particularly  remarkable,  is  that 
worfe  things  were  afcribed  to  gods  of  the 
greateft  dignity,  as  Jupiter,  than  to  any 
of  an  inferior  rank.  Such  was  the  religion 
which  Voltaire  reprefents  as  perfectly  in 
nocent,  with  refpeft  to  its  moral  ten 
dency. 

Some  of  the  rites  of  the  antient  hea 
then  religions,  which  were  not  remarkable 
for  their  cruelty  or  lewdnefs,  confifted  of 
fuch  inftances  of  favage  ferocity  and  ex 
travagance,  as  are  not  eafily  accounted 
for.  But  whatever  was  the  caufe  that  led 
to  fuch  rites,  the  faffs  that  I  fhall  mention 
are  unqueftionable,  and  perhaps  fuch  per- 
fons  as  Voltaire  would  not  have  been 
mocked,  but  only  amufed,  with  them. 

When  the  fun  entered  Aries,  at  the 
time  of  the  vernal  equinox,  the  Egyptians 
celebrated  a  feftival  in  honour  of  the  fun, 
when  perfons  of  both  fexes  counterfeited 
madnefs,  ran  about  the  ftreets,  and  alfo 
up  hills,  and  through  deferts,  pulling  in 
pieces  the  carcafes  of  the  animals  they 
facrificed,  breaking  their  bones,  and  eat 
ing 


9S  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

ing  the  fleih  raw  with  the  blood  running 
out  of  their  mouths,  and  committing  every 
fort  of  extravagance.  From  Egypt  this 
rite  palled  into  Greece.  At  Chios,  and 
alfo  at  Tenedos,  they  facrificed  a  man, 
whom  they  tore  in  pieces  in  this  manner. 
Plutarch,  fpeaking  of  thefe  things,  fays 
"  Thefe  feftivals  and  direful  facrifices, 
"  which  are  celebrated  with  eating  raw 
"  fleih,  torn  with  men's  nails,  as  others 
"  in  which  men  faft,  and  beat  their  breafts, 
"  were  not,  I  think,  performed  on  the 
"  account  of  any  of  the  gods,  but  rather 
"  to  mollify  and  appeafe  the  fury  of  fome 
"  evil  demon.  For  it  is  not  probable  that 
66  there  ever  was  a  god,  who  required 
"  men  to  be  facrificed  to  him,  as  has 
"  been  antiently  done,  or  received  fuch 
"  facrifices  with  approbation."  But  Plu 
tarch,  from  his  own  better  reafon,  thought 
too  favourably  of  the  religion  of  his  an- 
ceflors. 

In  the  Omopbagia,  which  was  a  feftivai 
of  the  Greeks  in  honour  of  Bacchus,  the 
priefts  tore  with  their  teeth,  and  devoured, 

the 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  99 

the  entrails  of  the  goats  which  they  facri- 
ficed,  raw  and  reeking,  in  imitation  of 
their  god.  And  the  LupercaU.a,  one  of 
the  moft  antient  of  the  Roman  feftivals, 
in  honour  of  the  god  Pan,  was  celebrated 
by  the  priefts  running  about  the  ftreets, 
naked,  all  but  the  middle,  and  ftriking 
all  they  met,  and  efpecially  women,  with 
thongs  made  of  the  fkins  of  the  goats, 
which  they  facrificed.  And  the  women, 
thinking  there  was  great  virtue  in  thofe 
lalhings,  rather  threw  themfelves  in  their 
way  than  avoided  them. 

What  a  ftriking  contraft  with  refpecl 
to  all  the  things  I  have  enumerated  do  we 
fee  between  the  religious  rites  of  the  hea 
thens,  and  thofe  prefcribed  to  the  Hebrews, 
in  none  of  which  is  there  any  thing  that 
favours  of  cruelty,  immorality,  or  inde 
cency  ;  and  yet  Voltaire  is  ever  loading 
the  religion  of  the  Jews  with  every  term 
of  reproach,  and  apologizing  for  that  of 
the  heathens. 

The  proper  parent  of  all  fuperftition,  . 
and  falfe  religion,   is,   as  I  have  obferved 

ignorance  - 


100  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

ignorance  of  nature,  and  the  true  caufes  of 
events;  and  men  being  naturally  anxious 
about  the  good  or  evil  that  may  befal  them, 
not  knowing,  their  true  caufes,  but  afcrib- 
ing  every  thing  to  fome  caufe  or  other, 
were  led,  from  circumftances  which  it  is  im- 
poffible  at  this  diftance  of  time  to  trace,  to 
fix  upon  caufes  entirely  foreign  to  the  pur- 
pofe.  But  though  their  opinions,  and ,  fome 
of  the  pra&Ues  derived  from  them,  cannot 
now-  be  mentioned  without  exciting  a  fmile 
of  contempt,  they  were  ferious  things  in 
times  of  antiquity  >  and  to  have  laughed  at 
them  then  would  have  coft  a  man  dear. 

When  the  fun,  and  his  emblem  fire, 
were  the  principal  objecls  of  worfhip,  it 
was  imagined  that  no  child  would  live  or 
thrive,  that  was  not  made  to  pafs  through 
the  fire,  and  therefore  the  drawing  them 
over  lighted  ftraw,  or  any  kind  of  flame 
that  would  not  materially  injure  them, 
was  deemed  a  neceffary  rite  of  religion. 
This  we  find  praftifed  by  the  Ifraelites,  in 
imitation  of  their  neighbours,  during  their 
defedion  from  their  own  religion.  Thus 

we 


REVEALED    RELIGION  101 

we  read  concerning  Manaffey  Chr.  xxxiii. 
10,  that  be  caujed  his -children  to  pap  through 
the  fire,  in  the  valley  of  the  I  on  oftiinnom,  as  aljb 
that  he  obferved  times,  ufed  inchantments ,  and  dealt 
ivitb  a  familiar  fpirit,  and -wizards,  all  which 
practices  were  of  heathen  origin,  and  de- 
ierve  to  be  particularly  noticed. 

The  obferving  limes,  or  diftinguifhing 
days  into  the  lucky  and  unlucky,  when 
they  cannot  have  any  real  influence  on  die 
bufmefs  tranfacled  in  them,  was  a  very 
antient  heathen  fuperftition,  and  even 
continues  to  this  day,  though  one  of  the 
remains  of  heathenifin,  in  moft  Chriftian 
countries. 

Lucian,  a  heathen  philofopher,  ipeak- 
ing  of  unlucky  days,  fays  "  on  them  neither 
"  do  the  magiftrates  meet  to  coiifult  about 
**  public  affairs,  neither  are  law  fuits  de- 
"  cided  in  the  hall,  nor  facrifices  offered, 
"  nor  in  fine  any  fort  of  bufmefs  under- 
"  taken,  in  which  a  man  would  wifh 
"  himfelf  fortunate.0  He  fays  that  Ly- 
curgus  the  great  Lacedemonian  lawgiver 
made  a  fundamental  inftitution  of  govern 
ment 


102  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

merit,  never  to  enter  upon  any  warlike 
expedition,  but  when  the  moon  was  at  the 
full;  bxeing  of  opinion  that  all  things  were 
under  the  influence  of  the  moon,  and  that 
neither  would  their  forces  abroad  aft 
with  fufficient  vigour  and  fuccefs,  nor 
would  their  affiairs  at  home  be  fo  well 
condufted,  in  the  increafe,  as  in  the  de- 
creafe,  of  that  planet.  The  emperor 
Auguftus  was  fo  much  a  flave  to  this 
fuperftition,  that  he  never  went  abroad  on 
the  day  after  the  minding  on  which  the 
public  markets  were  held,  nor  did  he  begin 
any  ferious  undertaking  on  the  nones  of  any 
month*  Ambrofe  fays  that  the  firft  con 
verts  from  heathenifm  were  much  ad- 
difted  to  thefe  obfervances. 

What  is  called  witchcraft,  wrhich  is 
another  of  the  fuperftitious  practices  to 
which  Maaafleh  was  addicted,  was  very 
common  among  the  heathens.  It  con 
fided  in  the  invocation  of  demons,  in  order 
to  produce  by  incantation,  charms,  medi 
cated  compofitions  of  herbs,  &c.  themoft 
furprizing  effects.  This  art  Maimonides 

fays 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  icj 

fays  was  much  pra&ifed  by  the  Zabii,  and 
the  Chaldeans  ;    and  it  was  very   common 
among    the    Egyptians,     and    Cannanites. 
None  of  thefe  magical  operations  could 
be    performed   without  a  regard    to    the 
ftars.       For    they  held   that    every  plant 
had  its  governing  ftar.       With   the    hea 
thens,    therefore,    thefe  magical  practices 
were    acls    of   religion.       By    this  means 
they  believed  that  the  demons  were  fub- 
jecl    to    them.       In    the    antient    heathen 
religions  the  moft    extraordinary    effects, 
efpecially  of  the  mifchevious  kind,    were 
afcribed  to  charms,   and  talifmans,   but  it 
was  fuppofed  that  they  might  be  counter 
acted   by    more    potent    charms,     though 
alike  infignificant.     A  fuperflitious  perfon, 
fays  Theophraftus,  if  he  fees  a  weafel  crofs 
his  path,    goes  no  farther,    till  fome  ether 
perfon    goes   before    him,     or   till  he   has 
thrown  three  ftones  acrofs  the  way.    Many 
of    thefe    things,     though    abfurd    in   the 
extreme,    made  fo    deep  an  impreflion  on 
the  minds  of   the   heathens,   that  it   was 
with  great  difficulty  that  they  were  brought 

to 


104  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

to  difregard  them  when  they  embraced 
chriftianity. 

It  might  be  imagined  that  thefe  idle 
notions  and  cuftoms  were  peculiar  to  the 
vulgar  among  the  heathens,  but  they  were 
regularly  praftifed  by  the  graveft  ma- 
giftrates  of  the  wifeft  ftates  in  antiquity. 
For  in  facT;  when  thofe  ftates  were  con- 
ftituted,  the  legislators  themfelves  were 
not,  in  thefe  refpedts,  more  knowing  than 
the  reft  of  the  people.  When  any  great 
public  calamity  was  to  be  averted  at  Rome, 
the  firft  magiftrate  went  in  folemn  pro- 
ceffion,  and  drove  a  nail  of  brafs  into  the 
temple  of  Jupiter  Capitolinus.  This  was 
deemed  to  be  the  moft  effectual  method 
of  appeafing  the  anger  of  the  gods. 

The  greateft  ftrefs  was  laid  by  the  an- 
tients  on  folemn  imprecations,  as  we  fee  in  the 
cafe  of  Balak,  king  of  Moab,  who  at  a  great 
expence,  fent  for  the  prophet  Balaam 
to  curfe  Ifrael.  For  the  curfes  of  prophets 
and  priefts,  were  thought  to  be  the  moft 
efficacious.  Hence  it  was  cuftomary  for 
men  condemned  for  any  notorious  crime 

to 


&EVEALED    RELIGION.  105 

to  be  publicly  curfed  by  the  priefts.  It 
was  alfo  often  done  from  particular  en 
mity  and  fadion.  Thus  when  Craffus  the 
Roman  triumvir  undertook  his  famous  ex 
pedition  againft  the  Parthians,  his  opponent 
Ateius  Capito,  the  tribune,  running  to  the 
gate  of  the  city  through  which  he  paffed, 
placed  there  veflels  full  of  burning  coals, 
on  which  he  offered  odours  and  oblations, 
and  then  he  pronounced  the  moft  direful 
curfes  againft  him  as  he  went  along. 

Prying  into  futurity  was  always  a  great 
object  in  the  religion  of  the  heathens;  and 
from  their  ignorance  of  nature,  they  ima 
gined  that  the  gods,  who  were  the  rulers 
of  the  fates  of  men,  gave  indications  of 
future  events  by  various  figns,  which  it 
was  the  bufinefs  of  the  priefts  to  ftudy. 
This  was  the  act  df  divination, 

Divination  was  moll  commonly  made 
by  facrifices,  and  efpecially  by  the  obier- 
vation  of  the  entrails,  and  more  particu 
larly  the  livers,  of  the  victims.  This 
among  the  Romans  was  a  fcience  of  itfelf, 
and  a  diftinft  order  of  priefts,  called  Ha* 

N  rufpices 


io6  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

rvfpices,  were  appointed  to  the  ftudy  and 
practice  of  it.  Another  folemn  divination 
was  by  the  obfervation  of  the  flight  of  birds, 
and  this  was  the  bufmefs  of  another  order 
of  priefts,  called  Augurs ;  and  unlefs  their 
reports  were  favourable,  no  public  bufmefs 
could  be  tranfacled.  A  peculiarly  folemn 
rite  of  this  kind  called  taking  the  aufpices, 
was  by  obferving  the  manner  in  which 
a  coop  of  poultry,  which  was  kept  for  the 
purpofe,  ate  their  food.  If  they  did  it 
heartily,  the  omen  was  thought  to  be  fa 
vourable,  if  otherwife,  unfavourable;  and 
fo  much  were  the  minds  of  the  Roman 
foldiers  imprefled  by  this  circumftance,  that 
no  prudent  general  would  rifk  an  engage 
ment  with  the  enemy,  till  the  augurs  made 
a  favourable  report. 

Nebuchadnezzar,  king  of  Babylon, 
did  not  undertake  his  expedition  againft 
Jerufalem  without  firft  confulting  the  gods, 
according  to  the  rites  of  divination  prac- 
tifed  in  his  time,  though  we  know  but 
little  of  them  at  prefent.  Thus  we  read, 
Ez.  xxi.  21.  The  king  of  Babylon  flood  at  the 

1)  irting 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  107 

parting  of  the  -way,  at  the  head  of  the  tivo 
•ways,  to  ufe  divination.  He  m'ade  his  arroivs 
bright,  he  consulted  ivitb  images,  he  looked  in 
the  liver.  At  his  right  hand  ivas  the  divination 
for  Jerufalem,  to  appoint  captains,  to  open  the 
mouth  in  the  Jlanghter,  to  lift  up  the  voice  'with 
fbouting,  to  appoint  battering  rams  againjl  the 
gates,  to  cafl  a  mount,  and  to  build  a  fort. 

It  were  endlefs  to  enumerate  all  the 
various  modes  of  divination  pradtifed  by 
the  antient  heathens,  as  by  lots,  by  ominous 
words  and  things,  <3cc.  with  alluflons  to 
which  the  Greek  and  Roman  writers 
abound,  fo  that  they  are  well  known  to 
every  fchool-boy.  But  one  of  the  moft 
extraordinary  and  direful  of  thefe  modes 
of  divination,  that  by  having  recourfe  to 
the  dead,  I  muft  briefly  mention.  This 
was  the  ferious  art  of  necromancy,  to  which 
Manafleh  was  faid  to  have  been  addicled; 
and  to  this  king  Saul  had  recourfe  in  his 
diftrefles.  Thus  alfo  UlyfTes  is  reprefented 
by  Homer  as  facrificing  a  black  fheep  in  a 
ditch,  and  after  pouring  libations,  inviting 
the  ghoft  of  Tirefias  and  others  to  drink  of 
*  N  2  the, 


io9  THE     EVIDENCES    OF 

the  blood,  in  order  to  their  anfwering  the 
queftions  that  would  be  put  to  them. 

Similar  to  this  was  the  having  to  do  ivith 
familiar  fpirits,  and  wizards,  with  which 
Manafleh  is  likewife  charged;  for  the  an- 
fwers  received  by  this  means  are  repre- 
fented  as  feeming  to  come  from  under  the 
ground,  the  place  of  the  dead ;  as  we  read 
If.  viii.  19.  Seek  unto  them  that  have  fami 
liar  fpirits,  and  unto  wizards,  that  peep  and 
that  mutter,  and  If.  xxix.  4.  Thou  Jhalt  be 
brought  down,  and  Jhalt  fpeak  out  of  the  ground, 
and  thy  fpeech  Jhall  whifper  out  of  the  dujl. 
Sometimes  the  perfons  who  pretended  to 
this  art  feemed  to  Ipeak  out  of  their  own 
bellies.  Of  this  kind  Maimonides  fays  is 
the  oracle  of  Pytho.  "  He  is  one,"  he 
fays,  "  who  after  a  kind  of  fumigation, 
"  flourifhes  a  myrtle  rod  in  his  hand,  and 
"  pronounces  certain  fet  words  of  in- 
"  chantment. '  Then  he  feems  to  confult  one 
"  who  is  talking  with  him,  and  anfwers 
"  his  queftions,  as  it  were  from  under  the 
ie  ground,  with  fo  low  a  voice,  that  he 

"  cannot 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  109 

"  cannot  diftindly  hear  it,    but  muft  col- 
"  lecl  the  meaning  by  his  imagination." 

Thus  have  I  endeavoured  to  give  you 
a  general  idea  of  the  nature  of  the 
heathen  religion,  as  it  was  praftifed  in  the 
earlieft  ages,  and  indeed  as  it  continued, 
with  little  or  no  improvement,  till  the 
promulgation  of  chriftianity.  It  was  not, 
you  fee,  a  merely  contemptible  fuperftition, 
founded  on  the  grofleft  ignorance  of  the 
laws  of  nature,  but  fuch  as  in  the  higheft 
degree  muft  have  debafed  the  minds,  and 
have  corrupted  the  morals,  of  men.  How 
juftly  is  the  ftate  of  the  heathen  world  de- 
fcribed  by  the  apoftle  Paul  in  my  text, 
and  other  facred  writers;  and  how  remote 
from  truth,  and  the  appearance  of  truth, 
is  the  account  that  Voltaire,  and  other 
unbelievers,  out  of  a  defire  to  difcredit 
revelation,  have  given  of  it.  Surely  then 
the  rectifying  thefe  fundamental  errors, 
into  which  all  the  world  had  fallen,  with 
refpect  to  religion,  and  the  putting  an  end 
to  practices  fo  debafing  to  the  human 
character,  and  fo  deftru&ive  of  human 

happinefs, 


lio  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

happinefs,   was  an  objecl  not  unworthy  of 
the  great  parent  and  friend  of  mankind. 

That  there  was  no  profpect  of  men,  by 
any  ufe  they  could  make  of  their  own 
reafon,  recovering  from  this  deplorable 
ignorance  and  corruption,  was  evident 
by  the  experience  of  three  thoufand  years, 
in  which,  though  many  parts  of  the  world 
became  enlightened  in  other  refpecls,  they 
grew,  if  poffible,  more  confirmed  in  their 
attachment  to  their  religions  received  from 
their  anceftors ;  continuing  to  believe, 
notwithftanding  the  ftrongeft  appearances 
to  the  contrary,  that  the  profperity  of 
their  feveral  ftates,  and  even  the  fertility 
of  the  ground,  depended  upon  the  obferv- 
ance  of  their  particular  rites.  And  there 
fore  as  foon  as  the  heathen  magiftrates 
faw  the  rapid  fpread  of  chriftianity,  and 
the  danger  to  which  their  antient  reli 
gions  were  expofed  in  coufequence  of  it, 
they  employed  all  their  power  to  fup- 
prefs  it,  perfecuting  the  profeffors  of  the 
new  religion  in  every  form,  though  hap 
pily  in  vain.  Truth,  fupported  by  clear 

evidence, 


REVEALED  RELIGION.  1 1 1 

evidence,     could    not     be     overcome   by 
power. 

That  nothing  lefs  than  repeated  inter- 
pofitions  of  the  deity  could  have  preferved 
any  part  of  the  human  race  from  this  fhock- 
ing  idolatry,   fo  deftru&ive   of  virtue   and 
of  happinefs,   is  particularly  evident  from 
the    hiflory    of    all  the  nations  defcended 
from  Abraham,    whofe  founders  were,  no 
doubt,  inftrufted  by  him  in  the  knowledge 
and  worfhip  of  the  one  true  God,  and  who, 
notwithflanding  this,  all  became  idolaters. 
This  was  the  cafe  with  the  Arabs,  defcended 
from  Ifhmael,  and  other  fons  of  that  great 
patriarch,  though  in  the  time  of  Job,  who 
was  probably  prior  to  Mofes,  fome  of  them 
were  not  fo.      This  was  alfo  the  cafe  with 
the    Edomites,     though    defcended    from 
Ifaac,  and  of  the  Moabites  and  Ammonites, 
defcended  from  Lot,    the  friend  and  com 
panion  of  Abraham.      There  muft,  there 
fore,    have  been   fome   thing  exceedingly 
fafcinating  and  plaufible  in  the   fyftems  of 
heathen  worfhip,  though  to  us,   who  have 
been    enlightened  by  revelation,    nothing 
appears  more  abfurd  and  fhocking. 

But 


in  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

But -when  the  world  by  its  own  wifdom  knew 
not  God,  it  pleafed  God,  as  the  apoftle  fays, 
I  Cor.  i.  2 1 ,  by  tbefoolifhnefs  of  preaching,  i.  e. 
by  the  gofpel  (which  at  its  firft  publication 
was  ridiculed  as  foolifh  by  thofe  who  were 
reputed  wife)  to  effed  a  reformation.  And 
to  this  day  there  has  not  been  any  refor 
mation  of  the  moft  abfurd  of  the  heathen 
religions,  but  by  means  of  the  gofpel. 
All  that  Mahomet anifin  has  done  in  this 
refpeet  was  by  means  of  the  principles 
derived  from  the  Jewiih  and  Chriftian 
religions,  the  truth  of  which  it  fuppofes. 
Thus  was  verified  the  declaration  of  our 
Saviour,  John  xiv.  6.  No  man  cometh  to  the 
father  (or  attains  to  the  knowledge  and 
worfhip  of  the  one  true  God)  but  by  me  ;  a 
moft  extraordinary  prediction,  but  abun 
dantly  verified  by  facts. 

Can  we  then  be  too  thankful  to  God 
for  the  promulgation  of  the  gofpel  which 
has  not  only  brought  life  and  immortality  to 
light,  by  the  clear  revelation  of  a  future 
ftate;  but  has  freed  mankind  from  the 
grofieft  ignorance,  and  fuperftitious  addict- 
cdnefs  to  innumerable  pra&ices  of  the  moft 

hor- 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  113 

rid  and  abominable  nature ;  fuch  as  furnifhed 
incentives  and  opportunity  for  every  vice, 
the  moft  debating  of  the  characters  of  men, 
and  the  caufe  of  infinite  mifchiefs  to  them, 
both  as  individuals,  and  as  members  of 
fociety.  The  gofpel,  whatever  elfe  may 
be  faid  of  it,  has  been,  if  there  be  any 
truth  in  hiflory,  the  only,  but  it  has  been 
an  effectual,  remedy  of  thefe  great  evils ; 
while  all  the  evils  that  have  been  charged 
upon  it9  are  clearly  owing  to  a  departure 
from  its  genuine  principles,  as  they  are 
now  to  be  feen  in  the  New  Teftament, 
the  rife  and  progrefs  of  them  being  invef- 
tigated  with  the  greateft  eafe  and  certainty. 
And  as  the  reformation  advances  they  are 
now  every  where  abated,  and  may  there 
fore  be  expefted  foon  to  difappear,  when 
the  gofpel  will  again  appear  in  its  purity, 
the  greateft  of  bleffings  to  all  the  human 
race. 


DISCOURSE     V. 

The  excellence  of  the  Mofaic  Inftifutions* 


Behold  I  have  taught  you  ftatutes  and  judgments,  even  as 
the  Lord  my  God  commanded  me,  that  ye  fhould  do  fo  in 
the  land  whither  ye  go  to  poflefs  it.  Keep  therefore  and 
do  them.  For  this  is  your  wifdom  and  undemanding,  in 
the  fight  of  the  nations  which  mall  hear  all  the  e  ftatutes, 
and  fay,  Surely  this  great  nation  is  a  wife  and  underftand- 
ing  people.  For  what  nation  is  there  fo  great,  who  hath 
God  fo  near  unto  them  as  the  Lord  your  God  is,  in  all 
things  that  ye  call  upon  him  for;  and  what  nation  is  there 
fo  great  that  hath  ftatutes  and  judgments  fo  righteous,  as 
all  this  law  which  I  fet  before  you  this  day. 

DEUT.  iv.  5—8. 

XJ.AVING,  in  the  two  preceding 
clifcourfes,  given  you  a  view  of  the  reli 
gions  of  the  antient  heathen  nations,  I  fhall 
now,  by  way  of  contrail,  give  you  a  fimi- 
lar  view  of  that  of  the  Hebrews;  and  this 
it  will  be  the  eafier  to  do,  as  the  original 
records  of  it  are  extant  in  the  writings  of 
Mofes,  which  were  compofed  at  the  time 
of  its  inftitution;  fo  that  there  cannot  be 

any 


THE     EVIDENCES,    &c,  115 

any  difficulty  in  diftinguifhing  the  genuine 
principles  of  this  religion  from  the  corrup 
tions  and  abufes  of  it.  No  other  nation  can 
give  fuch  an  account  of  the  origin  of  their 
religion.  For  it  is  not  pretended  that  any 
other  has  writings  coeval  with  their  infti- 
tutions.  All  the  accounts  of  them  are 
traditional,  and  their  traditions  are  deriv 
ed  from  the  moft  remote  antiquity ;  fo  that 
much  is  neceflarily  left  to  conjecture  with 
refpect  to  them. 

The  fuperior  excellence  of  the  fyftem 
of  Hebrew  religion  and  policy,  for  they 
had  the  fame  fource,  and  the  moft  inti 
mate  connection,  is  ftrongly  aflerted  by 
Mofes  in  my  text.  On  the  other  hand, 
Voltaire,  followed  by  the  generality  of 
unbelievers,  fays,  that  "  the  Jews  were 
"  an  ignorant  and  barbarous  people,  who 
"  have  for  a  long  time  joined  the  bafeft 
"  avarice  to  the  moft  deteftable  fuperfti- 
"  tion.  They  have  done  much  hurt," 
he  fays,  "  to  themfelves,  and  to  the  hu- 
"  man  race."  This  writer  had,  no^ doubt, 
read  the  books  of  Mofes,  and  the  other 

%     books 


n6  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

books  of  the  Old  Teftament,  for  he  fre 
quently  quotes  them;  but  many  perfons, 
without  ever  reading  thefe  books  them- 
felves,  take  for  granted  that  what  he 
fays  of  them  is  true.  But,  my  brethren, 
be  perfuaded  to  make  ufe  of  your  own 
eyes,  and  judge  for  yourfelves.  To  aflift 
you  in  this,  I  fhall,  as  briefly  as  poflible, 
lay  before  you  the  moft  important  particu 
lars  of  which  the  inftitutions  of  Mofes 
confift,  and  occafionally  compare  them 
with  particulars  of  a  fimilar  nature  in  the 
fyftems  of  the  heathens,  which  were  co- 
temporary  with  them. 

In  order  to  throw  the  greater  odium 
on  the  Hebrew  nation,  Voltaire  fays, 
"  they  were  ignorant  and  barbarous,  that 
"  they  were  never  famous  for  any  art, 
"  they  never  were  natural  philofophers, 
"  geometricians,  or  aftronomers."  Ad 
mitting  this  to  be  the  cafe,  if  there  be  any 
wifdom,  or  fuperior  excellence,  in  their 
religious  or  political  inftitutions,  it  will  be 
the  more  probable  that  they  had  fome 
other  fource  than  any  knowledge  of  their 

own. 


REVEALED    RELIGION  117 

own.      But  I   do  not  defire   to  take  any 
advantage  of  this  circumftance. 

It  is  not  true  that,  in  ancient  times, 
the  Hebrews  were  much,  if  at  all,  infe 
rior  to  other  nations  with  refpect  to  the 
arts.  In  the  art  of  war,  which,  even  in 
the  age  of  Mofes  comprized  many  other 
arts,  it  will  hardly  be  denied  that  the 
Hebrews,  if  there  was  nothing  miraculous 
in  their  hiftory,  muft  have  excelled.  For 
to  fay  nothing  of  their  emancipating  them- 
felves  from  the  yoke  of  the  Egyptians, 
then  the  mod  warlike  people  in  the  world, 
when  they  were  wholly  unprovided  for 
the  conteft,  they  completely  expelled  the 
inhabitants  of  Canaan,  ten  times  more 
numerous  than  themfelves,  who  had  horfes 
and  chariots  of  iron,  and  whofe  cities  are 
faid  to  have  been  fenced  up  to  heaven,  when 
they  only  fought  on  foot.  The  whole 
land  of  Canaan  was  of  no  great  extent, 
and  yet  David  conquered,  and  held  in 
fubje&ion,  all  the  neighbouring  nations ; 
and  it  is  probable  that  they  continued  tri 
butary  to  the  Ifraelites  all  the  reign  of 

Solomon. 


n8  THE     EVIDENCES    OF 

Solomon.  There  are  few  nations  in  all 
antiquity  that  can  boaft  of  two  fuch  princes 
as  David  and  Solomon  with  all  their  faults. 
The  conflrucTion  of  the  tabernacle  in 
the  time  of  Mofes,  and  of  the  temple  in 
the  time  of  Solomon,  fliows  that  there 
were  ingenious  artifts  among  them,  as 
well  as  in  other  countries,  and  the  know 
ledge  that  any  people  in  thefe  early  ages 
had  of  real  faience,  that  is,  of  the  laws  of 
nature,  and  the  application  of  that  know 
ledge  to  any  ufeful  purpofe,  wras  very  in- 
confiderable.  Knowledge  of  this  kind 
would  have  prevented  that  miferable  fu- 
perftition,  in  which,  as  I  have  fhewn,  the 
antient  heathen  religion  confifted. 

As  to  what  is  properly  called  literature, 
or  the  art  of  writing,  and  compoiing  books, 
no  antient  nation  can  pretend  to  vie  with 
the  Hebrews.  We  have  no  account  of 
any  books  fo  old  as  thofe  of  Mofes,  and 
though  there  is  not  in  them  the  leaft  ap 
pearance  of  art,  or  ftudied  compofition, 
they  are  written  with  that  engaging  fim- 
plicity,  which  has  not  yet  been  exceeded 

by 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  119 

by  any  writings  whatever.  The  pathos 
in  the  addrefs  of  Mofes  to  his  nation  in 
the  book  of  Deuteronomy,  written  juft 
before  his  death,  is  inimitable.  It  is  not 
poffible  to  read  it,  if  I  may  judge  of  the 
feelings  of  other  perfons  by  my  own, 
without  the  ftrongeft  emotions.  The  in 
cidents  in  the  hiftory  of  Jofeph  were  not 
the  invention  of  Mofes,  but  they  have  loft 
nothing  in  going  through  his  hands.  There 
is  not,  in  all  antiquity,  fo  affedting  a  nar 
rative. 

With  refpedt  to  the  knowledge  of  hu 
man  nature  and  human  life,  the  proverbs 
of  Solomon  difcover  as  much  of  it  as  the 
fayings  of  the  feven  wife  men  of  Greece, 
in  a  much  later  period;  and  for  fublimity 
of  fentiment,  and  energy  of  expreffion,  the 
pfalms  of  David,  and  the  writings  of  Ifai- 
ah,  and  other  Hebrew  prophets,  though 
in  a  language  but  imperfectly  known, 
and  though  they  have  fuffered  more  than 
any  writings  whatever  by  frequent  copying, 
are  infinitely  fuperior  to  any  poetical  com 
petitions  of  the  Greeks  or  Romans  in  any 

age; 


i2o  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

age;  efpecially  if  they  be  read  in  profe 
tranflations,  which  is  all  that  we  can  do 
with  refpect  to  the  poetry  of  the  Hebrews, 
the  ineafure  of  which  is  now  loft.  Both 
are  extant.  Let  them  be  compared  by 
the  principles  of  juft  criticiim;  but  not  by 
fo  prejudiced  a  perfoii  as  Voltaire. 

The  Egyptians  had  the  art  of  writing, 
but  they  had  no  books  of  which  we  have 
any  certain  account.  The  fame  was  the 
cafe  with  the  Chaldeans.  And  as  to  the 
Greeks,  they  were,  in  a  period  long  after 
the  time  of  Mofes,  as  barbarous  and  ig 
norant  as  the  North  American  Indians  at 
this  day.  If  we  may  judge  of  the  antient 
Hebrews  by  the  Jews,  who  are  defc ended 
from  them,  we  muft  fay  that,  with  relpedt 
to  natural  ingenuity,  or  induftry,  they  are 
far  from  being  inferior  to  the  reft  of  man 
kind.  They  are  perhaps  rather  fuperior, 
not  by  nature  (for  in  tha,t  refpecl  probably 
all  mankind  are  nearly  equal)  but  in  con- 
fequence  of  the  greater  exercife  of  their 
faculties,  owing  in  a  great  rneaiure  to  the 
treatment  they  have  met  with  from  other 

nations. 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  121 

tions,  and  the  manner  in  which  they  are 
compelled  to  provide  for  their  maintenance 
among  them.  In  Europe  at  leaft,  a  very 
filly,  or  a  very  idle,  Jew  could  hardly 
fubfift. 

But  without  any  regard  to  the  people , 
let  us  cdnfider  their  inftitutions;  and  in 
doing  this  we  muft  endeavour  to  forget, 
or  overlook,  principles  that  are  familiar 
to  us  Chriftians,  and  which  we  derived 
from  the  fcriptures,  and  attend  fimply  to 
the  ftate  of  the  world  in  the  time  of  Mofes, 
and  the  principles  and  cuftoms  which  were 
then  moft  prevalent,  and  which  the  Ifrael- 
ites  themfelves  had  in  a  great  meafure 
adopted  while  they  were  in  Egypt.  Ad 
mitting  that  Mofes,  in  confequence  of 
his  having  been  educated  at  the  court  of 
Pharoah,  was  acquainted  with  all  the  learn 
ing  of  the  Egyptians,  he  had  no  opportu 
nity  of  acquiring  more,  or  indeed  any 
knowledge  of  a  different  kind  ;  and  he  vas 
not  likely  to  improve  his  knowledge  of 
any  kind  by  living  afterwards  forty  years 
among  the  Arabs,  where  he  married,  and 

o  was 


122  THE     EVIDENCES    OF 

was  fettled;  having  probably  given  up  all 
thoughts  of  ever  returning  to  Egypt,  his 
life  being  in  danger  if  he  did. 

Notwithftanding  this,  at  the  age  of 
eighty,  he  did  return,  and  though  Egypt 
was  then  in  a  ftate  of  its  greateft  power, 
and  his  countrymen  in  a  ftate  of  the  moft 
abjeft  fcrvitude,  deftitute  of  arms  or 
friends,  he  effected  their  complete  eman 
cipation,  in  a  very  few  months  without 
the  lofs  of  a  fingle  life,  while  the  Egyp 
tians  were  fo  weakened,  or  overawed,  that, 
though  the  Ifraelites  continued  many  years 
in  their  neighbourhood,  and  without  any 
connection  with  other  nations,  their  old 
inafters.  never  attempted  to  get  them  back 
again  :  and  yet  on  account  of  the  fervice 
they  had  derived  from  them,  they  had 
been  moft  unwilling  to  part  with  them. 
This,  however,  is  a  circumftance,  which, 
though  highly  favourable  to  the  fuppofition 
of  there  being  fomething  miraculous  in 
their  deliverance,  I  only  mention  by  the 
way,  before  I  recite  the  particulars  of 
thofe  inftitutions,  which,  in  their  ftate  of 

emancipation 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  123 

^mancipation  from  their  bondage  in  Egypt, 
and  before  they  had  got  any  other  fettle- 
ment,  Mofes  delivered  to  them. 

In  confidering  thefe  inftitutions,  let  us 
pay  no  regard  to  what  Mofes  fays  of 
their  having  been  delivered  to  him  by  God, 
but  only  what  they  are  in  themfelves,  that 
we  may  judge,  from  the  circumftances  of 
the  times,  whether  it  be  more  probable 
that  they  were  devifed  by  himfelf,  or  that 
they  were  communicated  to  him  in  the 
manner  that  he  relates.  In  this  view  of 
the  Mofaic  inftitutions  I  fhall  not,  however, 
ftri&ly  confine  myfelf  to  what  may  be 
drawn  from  the  writings  of  Mofes,  but 
take  advantage  of  the  farther  lights  that 
are  thrown  upon  them  in  other  books  of 
the  Old  Teftament,  the  authors  of  which 
had  no  other  fourcesof  information.  They 
are  all  written  on  the  fame  principles,  and 
in  the  fame  fpirit. 

i .  You  have  feen  the  monftrous  polythe* 
ifm  of  all  the  nations  of  antiquity.   In  direct 
oppofition  to  this,  the  firft,   and  moft  fun 
damental,  principle  in  the  religion  of  th£ 
o  2  Hebrews, 


124  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

Hebrews,  was  that  of  the  unity  of  God. 
The  firft  of  the  ten  commandments,  deli 
vered  from  mount  Sinai  is  (Exodus. 
xx.  2.)  Thou  /halt  have  no  other  Gods  be  fides 
me.  This  precept  is  repeated  with  the 
greateft  emphafis  through  all  the  writings 
of  Mofes,  and  thofe  of  the  fubfequent 
prophets.  Deut.  vi.  4.  Hear,  0  Ifrael,  the 
Lord  our  God  is  one  Lord ;  and  thou  /halt  love 
the  Lord  thy  God  ivitb  all  thine  heart,  -with 
all  thy  foul,  and  ivith  all  thy  mind,  that  is, 
with  an  undivided  affe£tion,  there  being 
no  other  legitimate  objeft  of  worfhip  be- 
fides  him. 

That  this  principle  is  a  juft  one,  will 
not  now  be  queftioned;  but,  compared 
with  the  principles  and  pra&ices  which 
then  prevailed  in  the  world,  it  muft  be 
pronounced  to  be  not  only  juft,  but  alfo 
great,  and  fublime ;  being  entirely  remote 
from  the  apprehenfions  of  the  moft  enligh 
tened  of  mankind  in  that  age.  That  fuch 
an  immenfe,  and  infinitely  various,  ftruc- 
ture  as  that  of  the  world,  or  rather  what 
was  called  the  univerfe,  confifting  of  all 

the 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  125 

the  vifible  objects  in  nature,  the  fyftem  of 
the  fun,  moon,  and  ftars,  as  well  as  the 
earth  and  fea,  fhould  have  had  any  proper 
author,  and  much  more  only  one  author, 
that  one  mind  fhould  perfectly  comprehend, 
and  direct,  the  whole,  was  utterly  incom- 
prehenfible  by  mankind;  and  therefore  they 
had  recourfe  to  a  multiplicity  of  fuperior 
beings,  each  prefiding  in  his  feparate  pro 
vince;  and  hence  the  idea  of  the  different 
characters  and  difpofitions,  of  the  heathen 
gods,  and  the  varieties  in  their  modes  of 
worfhipping  them.  It  is  in  vain  that  we 
look  for  fuch  an  idea  as  Mofes  gives  of  the 
Deity,  even  among  the  learned  Greeks, 
two  thoufand  years  after  his  time,  when 
they  had  long  been  poflefled  of  leifure, 
and  every  other  advantage,  for  (pecula 
tions  concerning  the  origin  of  the  univerfe, 
which  was  indeed  the  great  object  of  their 
philofophy. 

2.   You    have    feen   in   what    ftrange 
forms  the  heathens  reprefented  their  divini 
ties,    and    under    what    fymbols,     as    the 

figures  of  animals,  and  others,  they  wor- 

ihipped 


126  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

{hipped  them,  a  pra&ice  that  muft  have 
fuggefted  low  and  degrading  ideas  of  their 
gods.  And  it  actually  led  to  the  worfhip 
of  the  animals,  and  the  images  themfelves, 
divine  powers  being  fuppofed  to  refide  in 
them.  This  was  univerfal  among  the  na 
tions  that  bordered  on  Judea.  The  Per- 
fians,  indeed,  who  worfhipped  the  fun, 
had  no  images  of  their  god  befides  fire : 
but  all  the  nations  that  the  Hebrews  in 
the  time  of  Mofes,  were  acquainted  with, 
were  properly  idolaters,  worfhipping  their 
gods  by  means  of  images  in  various  fliapes, 
and  the  Egyptians  the  animals  themfelves. 
This  fource  of  corruption  and  abufe 
was  effectually  cut  off  in  the  inftitutions  of 
Mofes.  The  fecond  commandment  ex- 
prefsly  fays,  Exod.  xx.  4.  Thou  Jkah  not 
make  to  tbee  any  graven  image,  or  the  likenefs 
of  any  thing  that  is  in  heaven  above,  or  that  is 
in  the  earth  beneath,  or  that  is  in  the  waters 
Under  the  earth.  Thou  foalt  not  bow  down  to 
them  nor  ferve  them.  Alfo  when  Mofes,  a 
fhort  time  before  his  death,  reminds  the 
Ifraelites  of  what  they  had  feen  and  heard, 

and 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  127 

and  of  their  obligation  to  refpeft  his  laws, 
he  fays,  Deut.  iv.  14.  When  the  Lord  fpake 
to  you  out  of  the  midft  of  the  fire,  ye  heard  the 
voice  of  the  words,  but  ye  faw  no  fimilitude, 
only  ye  heard  a  'voice.  Take  ye  therefore  good 
heed  to  yourfelves,  for  ye  faw  no  manner  offuni- 
litude  on  the  day  that  the  Lord  fpake  to  you  in 
Horeb  out  of  the  midft  of  the  fire,  left  ye  cor 
rupt  yourfelves,  and  make  you  a  graven  image, 
the  fimilitude  of  any  figure,  the  likenefs  of  male 
or  female,  the  likenefs  of  any  be  aft  that  is  on  the 
earth,  the  likenefs  of  any  lumped  fowl  that  flies 
in  the  air,  the  likenefs  of  any  thing  that  creepeth 
upon  the  ground,  the  likenefs  of  any  fi/h  that  is 
in  the  waters  under  the  earth;  and  left  thou  lift 
up  thine  eyes  unto  heaven,  and  when  thou  fee  ft 
the  fun,  and  the  moon,  and  the  ftars,  even  all 
the  hoft  of  heaven,  which  the  Lord  thy  God  hath 
divided  unto  all  nations  under  the  whole  heavens, 
fiould  be  drawn  to  worjhip  and  ferve  them. 

The  very  idea  of  an  intelligent  Being, 
immenfe  and  omnipotent,  and  without  any 
definite  form,  never  occurred  to  any  of 
the  heathens.  It  is  in  vain  that  we  look 
among  their  philofophers  for  any  thing 

fo 


128  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

fo  great  and  fublime.  The  leaft  degree  of 
attention  will  convince  us  of  the  greatnefs 
and  fublimity  of  it,  and  yet  it  was  fami 
liar  to  this  ignorant  and  barbarous  people  as  Vol 
taire  reprefents  the  Hebrews  to  have  been. 

Thefe  great  and  fplendid  objects,  the 
fources  of  light  and  heat,  and,  as  was 
fuppofed,  of  other  beneficial  influences, 
which  were  the  primary  objefts  of  worlhip 
to  other  nations,  Mofes  always  defcribed 
as  having  been  created  by  the  one  fupreme 
God,  as  well  as  the  earth,  which  was 
another  great  objecl  of  worfhip  to  the 
heathen  world.  According  to  the  juft  and 
fublime  defcription  of  the  writers  of  the 
Old  Teftament,  all  things  are  fubjecT:  to 
the  controul  of  this  one  great  Being, 
Dan.  iv.  35.  He  doth  whatever  he  pleafes  in 
the  armies  of  heaven  above,  as  ivell  as  among 
the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  beneath.  Heaven 
is  the  throne,  and  the  earth  the  footftool 
of  God. 

According  to  the  principles  of  the 
wifeft  of  the  heathen  nations,  matter,  if 
not  the  world  itfelf,  with  all  the  vifible 

fyftem 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  129 

fyftem  of  things  was  eternal,  and  the  gods 
who  were  the  objects  of  the  popular  wor- 
fhip,  arofe  out  of  it,  and  of  courfe  after 
it.  For  the  idea  they  had  received  by 
tradition  of  one  God  having  created  all 
things,  was  foon  loft  and  forgotten,  fo  that 
he  was  no  objecl  of  their  worfhip  at  all. 

The  fupremacy  of  this  one  God,  as 
the  author,  and  lord,  of  univerfal  nature, 
is  declared  in  the  moft  emphatical  terms 
on  a  variety  of  occafions  in  the  Hebrew 
fcriptures.  On  a  folemn  faft,  after  the 
return  from  the  Babylonifh  captivity, 
we  find  an  addrefs  made  to  God,  in 
which  they  fay,  Neh.  ix.  5.  Bleffed  be  thy 
glorious  name,  which  is  exalted  above  all  blef- 
fing  and  praife.  Thou,  even  thou,  art  Lord 
alone.  Thou  haft  made  the  heaven,  and  the 
heaven  of  heavens,  with  all  their  hofts,  the 
earth,  and  all  things  that  are  therein,  the  fea, 
and  all  that  is  therein,  and  thou  preferveft  them 
all,  and  all  the  hoft  of  heaven  worflnp  thee. 
Do  fuch  fentiments  as  thefe,  and  fuch  lan 
guage  as  this,  befpeak  the  Hebrews  to 
have  been  that  ignorant,  barbarous,  and 

fuperftitious, 


130  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

fuperftitious  nation,  that  Voltaire  defcribes 
them  as  having  always  been  ? 

3.  Let -us  now  fee  what  are  faid  to 
have  been  the  attributes  of  this  one  God, 
the  fole  object  of  worihip  to  the  Hebrew 
nation,  according  to  their  own  writings. 
The  objects  of  the  worfhip  of  the  hea 
then  nations,  we  have  feen,  were  ac 
cording  to  themfelves,  all  limited  in  their 
knowledge  and  powers,  and  indeed  by 
one  another,  one  of  them  being  occupied 
in  this  province,  and  another  in  that. 
But  the  Gocl  of  the  Hebrews  is  always 
reprefented  as  omnipotent,  oinniprefent, 
and  oirmifcient. 

According  to  the  fublime  language  of  the 
prophet  Ifaiah  (xl.  12.)  It  is  he  'who  has  mea- 
fured  the  waters  in  the  hollow  of  his  hand,  who 
has  meted  out  the  heavens  with  a  fpan,  and  com 
prehended  the  duft  of  the  earth  in  a  meafure, 
hath  weighed  the  mountains  in  fcales,  and  the 
bills  in  a  balance.  Who,  fays  he,  has  direffed 
the  fpirit  of  the  Lord,  or  being  his  counfellor  has 
Taught  him  ?  With  whom  took  he  counfel,  and 
•who  inftru&ed  him,  and  taught  him  knowledge , 

and 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  131 

and  Jhewed  him  the  'way  of  underftanding  ?  Be 
hold,  the  nations  are  as  the  drop  of  a  bucket^ 
and  are  counted  as  the  fmall  duft  of  the  balance. 
Behold,  he  taketh  up  the  ijles  as  a  very  little 
thing.  All  nations  before  him  are  as  nothing, 
and  they  are  counted  to  him  as  lefs  than  nothing, 
and  vanity.  To  whom  then  will  ye  liken  God, 
or  what  likenefs  will  ye  compare  unto  him  ?  Have 
ye  not  known,  have  ye  not  heard,  has  it  not  been 
told  you  from  the  beginning  ?  It  is  he  that 
fitteth  upon  the  circle  of  the  heavens,  and  the 
inhabitants  of  the  earth  are  as  grajboppers,  who 
flretcheth  out  the  heavens  as  a  curtain,  and 
fpreadeth  them  out  as  a  tent  to  dwell  in.  Haft 
thou  not  known,  haft  thou  not  heard,  that  the 
everlafting  God,  the  Lord,  the  creator  of  the 
ends  of  the  earth,  faint eth  not  neither  is  weary? 
There  is  no  fearching  of  his  underftanding. 

What  a  fublime  idea  doth  Solomon 
give  of  the  attributes  of  God,  on  occafion 
of  the  dedication  of  the  temple,  i  Kings 
viii.  27.  But  will  God  indeed  dwell  on  earth  ? 
Behold  the  heaven,  and  the  heaven  of  faavens, 
cannot  contain  thee.  How  much  lefs  this  houfc 
which  I  have  built?  In  the  prophet  Jere 
miah, 


13*  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

miah,  the  divine  Being  is  reprefented  as 
faying,  Am  I  a  God  at  band,  and  not  a  God 
afar  off?  Can  any  perfon  bide  himfelf  in  fecret 
places  that  I  cannot  find  him?  faith  the  Lord. 
Do  I  not  fill  heaven  and  earth?  faith  the  Lord. 
The  fecrets  of  the  hearts  of  men  are  re 
prefented  as  known  to  God.  Jer.  xvii.  9. 
I  the  Lordfearch  the  heart,  I  try  the  reins,  even 
to  give  to  every  man  according  to  his  'ways,  and 
according  to  the  fruit  of  his  doings. 

Where  ihall  we  find  in  any  of  the 
Greek  or  Latin  poets  fuch  an  idea  of  any 
of  the  heathen  gods  as  David  gives  us  of 
the  God  of  the  Hebrews  in  the  cxxxix. 
Pfalm  ?  0  Lord  thou  haft  fearched  me,  and 
known  me.  Thou  knoweft  my  down  fitting, 
and  my  uprifmg.  Thou  underftandeft  my  thoughts 
afar  off.  Thou  compajfeft  my  path,  and  my 
lying  down,  and  art  acquainted  with  all  my 
ways.  For  there  is  not  a  word  in  my  tongue 
but  lo,  0  Lord,  thou  kuoweft  it  altogether. 
Thou  haft  befet  me  behind  and  before,  and  haft 
laid  thine  hand  upon  me.  Such  knowledge  is 
too  wonderful  for  me.  It  is  high,  I  cannot  at^ 
tain  unto  it.  Whither  Jball  I  go  from  thy  fpirit, 

or 


REVEALED     RELIGION  133 

or  -whither  flail  I  flee  from  thy  prefence  ?  If 
1  afcend  tip  into  heaven,  thou  art  there.  If  I 
make  my  bed  in  the  grave,  behold  thou  art  there. 
If  I  take  the  'wings  of  the  morning,  or  dwell  in 
the  uttermoft  parts  ofthefea,  even  there  fialt  thy 
hand  lead  me,  and  thy  right  hand  Jkall  hold  me. 
If  I  fay,  furely  the  darknefs  fiall  cover  me, 
even  the  night  Jhall  be  light  about  me.  Tea,  the 
darknefs  hidetb  not  from  thee,  but  the  night 
Jhineth  as  the  day.  The  darknefs  and  the  day 
are  both  alike  to  thee. 

The  abfurdity  of  the  heathen  worfhip, 
and  the  vain  pretenfions  of  the  heathen 
gods,  are  finely  ridiculed  by  the  Hebrew 
prophets.  Ifaiah,  foretelling  the  deftruc- 
tion  of  Babylon,  a  city  peculiarly  devoted 
to  the  worfhip  of  idols,  fays,  chap.  xlvi.  I. 
"  Bel  boweth  down,  Nebo  ftoopeth. 
"  Their  idols  were  upon  the  beafts,  and 
"  upon  the  cattle,  your  carriages  were 
"  heavy  laden,  they  are  a  burden  to  the 
"  weary  beaft.  They  ftoop,  they  bow 
"  down  together,  they  could  not  deliver 
"  the  burden,  but  themfelves  are  gone 
"  into  captivity."  Jeremiah  expreffes 

equal 


134  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

equal  contempt  of  them,  when  he  fays 
chap.  viii.  I.  "  Thus  faith  the  Lord,  Learn 
<  not  the  ways  of  the  heathen,  and  be 
'  not  difmayed  at  the  figns  of  heaven, 
'  for  the  heathen  are  difmayed  at  them. 
'  For  the  cuftoms  of  the  people  are  vain. 
'  For  one  cutteth  a  tree  out  of  the  foreft 
'  (the  work  of  the  hand  of  the  workman,) 
4  with  the  ax.  They  deck  it  with  filver 

*  and  with  gold,   they  faften  it  with  nails 

*  and  with  hammers,   that  it  move  not. 
'  They  are  upright  as  the  palm-tree,    but 

*  {peak  not.      They  muft  needs  be  borne, 
6  becaufe  they  cannot  go.      Be  not  afraid 

*  of  them,   for  they  cannot  do  evil,   nei- 

*  ther  is  it  in  them  to  do  good.      Foraf- 
'  much  as  there  is  none  like  unto  thee,  O 
'  Lord.      Thou  art  great,  and  thy  name 

*  is  great  in  might.     Who  would  not  fear 

*  thee,  O  King  of  nations,  for  to  thee  doth 

*  it  appertain. 

4.  Confidering  the  mockingly  cruel  and 
abominable  cuftoms  of  the  heathens,  we 
do  not  wonder  that  fuch  worfhip  as  theirs 
was  moft  ftrictly  forbidden  to  the  Ifrael- 

ites. 


REVEALED    RELIGION  13$ 

ites.  Indeed,  to  preferve  in  the  world  the 
knowledge  and  worfhip  of  the  one  true 
God,  was  the  great  objecl  of  the  infti- 
tutions  of  Mofes;  and  a  greater  and  more 
worthy  object  cannot  be  conceived.  In 
the  directions  that  Mofes  gives  his  coun 
trymen,  how  they  fhould  conduct  them- 
felves  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  he  fays, 
Deut.  xii.  2.  '  And  ye  fhall  utterly  de- 
'  ftroy  all  the  places  wherein,  the  nations 
c  that  ye  fhall  poffefs  ferved  their  gods, 
(  upon  high  mountains,  and  upon  hills,  and 
'  under  green  trees.  And  ye  lhall  over- 
(  throw  their  altars,  and  break  their  pillars, 

<  and  burn  their  groves  with  fire.      And 
*  ye  lhall  hew  down  the  graven  images  of 

<  their   gods,   and   deflroy   the    names    of 
'  them  out  of  their  places.'      No  idolater 
was  permitted  to  live  in  the  country  of 
the  Hebrews,  which  was  appropriated  to 
the   worfhip    of  the    one  true   God ;    and 
every  Jew  conforming  to  the  heathen  wor 
fhip  was  to  be  put  to  death  without  mer 
cy.      It  is  to  be  obferved,   however,   that 
the  Ifraelires  were  not  directed  to  propa 
gate 


136  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

*  gate  their  religion  by  the  fword,  and  com 
pel  other  nations  to  conform  to  their  wor- 
{hip.  Their  conquefts,  and  the  extirpation 
of  idolatrous  worfliip  were  confined  to  the 
boundary  of  the  land  of  Canaan,  the  coun 
try  promifed  by  God  to  Abraham.  Ac 
cordingly  when  David,  who  had  more 
zeal  for  his  religion  than  any  of  the  kings 
of  Ifrael,  conquered  all  the  neighbouring 
nations,  he  did  not  compel  any  of  them 
to  change  their  religion  for  his. 

5.  The  characters  of  the  principal  of 
the  heathen  gods  we  have  feen  to  have 
been  ftained  with  vices  of  the  grofleft  kind, 
and  .the  .moft  abominable  rites  were  prac- 
tifed  in  their  groves,  and  the  temples 
themfelves,  as  peculiarly  proper  for  their 
worlhip.  The  reverfe  of  every  thing  of 
this  kind  is  always  reprefented  by  Mofes, 
and  the  prophets,  as  the  difpofition  of 
the  God  of  the  Hebrews.  Nothing  of 
impurity,  or  indecency,  was  admitted  in 
to  his  worfhip.  Nay  the  great  object  of 
the  whole  fyflem  of  the  Hebrew  religion 
was  to  form  men  to  the  perfection  of  mo 
ral 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  137 

ral  chara&er;  and  all  the  rites  and  cere 
monies  of  it  are  conftantly  faid  to  be 
wholly  infignificant  without  this.  Be  ye 
holy,  fays  Mofes,  Lev.  xix.  -2.  for  the  Lord 
your  God  is  boly. 

When  the  Pfalmift  defcribes  the  cha- 
rafter  of  the  man  who  was  acceptable  to 
God,  and  fit  to  be  admitted  to  his  prefence, 
he  fays,  (Pfalm  xv.  I.)  Lord,  ivho  Jhall  abide 
in  thy  tabernacle,  -who  /hall  dwell  in  tby  holy 
bill?  He  that  ivalketb  uprightly,  and  ivorketh 
right eoufaefs,  and  fpeaketh  the  truth  in  bis 
heart.  On  the  other  hand,  vice  and  wick- 
ednefs  is  always  reprefented  as  the  great, 
and  indeed  the  fole,  objeft  of  his  difplea- 
fure.  There  is  no  peace,  fays  God,  to  the 
ivicked,  If.  vi.  22. 

The  infignificance  of  all  merely  ritual 
obfervances,  in  which  the  whole  of  the 
heathen  religion  confided,  compared  with 
moral  virtue,  is  expreffed  in  the  moft  em- 
phatical  manner  by  feveral  of  the  facred 
writers  as  If.  i.  1 1 .  «  To  what  purpofe  is 
*  the  multitude  of  your  facrifices  to  me, 
<  faith  the  Lord?  I  am  full  of  the  burnt- 
p  *  offerings 


13*  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

*  offerings   of  rams,    and   the  fat  of  fed 
(  beads,   and  I  delight  not  in  the  blood  of 

<  bullocks,    or  of  lambs,   or  of  he  goats. 

*  When  ye  come  to    appear   before   me, 

*  who  hath  required  this  at  your  hand,  to 

<  tread  my  courts.      Bring  no  more  vain 
(  oblations.     Incenfe  is  an  abomination  unto 

*  me.      The    new    moons,    and    fabbaths, 
'  the  calling  of  affemblies,   I  cannot  away 
«  with.      It  is  iniquity,    even  the  folemn 
(  meeting.      Your  new  moons,   and  your 

*  appointed  feafts,   my  foul  hateth.     They 
'  are  a  trouble  unto  me,   I  am  weary  to 

<  hear  them.      And  when  ye  fpread  forth 
'  your  hands,   I  will  hide  mine  eyes  from 

*  you,    yea  when  ye  make  many  prayers 
«  I  will  not  hear.      Your  hands  are  full  of 
€  blood.     Waih  ye,  make  you  clean,  put 

*  away  the  evil  of  your  doings  from  be- 

<  fore  mine  eyes,   ceafe  to  do  evil,  learn 
c  to  do  well,  feek  judgment,  relieve   the 

*  opprefled,  judge  the  fatherlefs,  plead  for 

*  the  widow.      Come  now  and  let  us  rea- 

*  fon  together  faith  the  Lord,  though  your 

*  fins  be  as  fcarlet,  they  fhall  be  as  white 

'  as 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  139 

*  as  fnow,  though  they  be  red  like  crim- 
'  fon,   they  ihall  be  as  wool. 

'  Wherewith/  faith  Micah,  ch.  vi.  6. 

*  ihall  I  come  before  the  Lord,   and  bow 
4  myfelf  before  the  high  God.  Shall  I  come 
'  before    him  with  burnt  offerings,    with 
e  calves  of   a  year  old?    will  the  Lord  be 

*  pleafed  with  thoufands  of  rams,    or  ten 
'  thoufands  of  rivers  of  oil  ?  Shall  I  give  my 
6  firft  born  for  my  tranfgreffion,  the  fruit  of 
€  my  body  for  the  fin  of  my  foul?  He  hath 

*  fhewed  thee,  O  man,  what  is  good,   and 

*  what  doth  the  Lord  require  of  thee,  but 

*  to  do  juftly,  to  love  mercy,  and  to  walk 
'  humbly  with  thy  God."    Paffages  equal 
ly  excellent,   and  as  purely  moral  as  thefe, 
abound  in  the  fcriptures  of  the  Old  Tefta- 
ment. 

6.  The  public  feftivals  of  the  heatnen 
gods  were  feafons  of  rioting  and  lewdnefs, 
but  thofe  of  the  Ifraelites  were  fcenes  of 
innocent  rejoicing,  joined  with  acts  of  de 
votion,  which  are  by  no  means  incompati 
ble  with  it;  and  every  thing  relating  to 
the  fervice  of  the  tabernacle  and  the  tem- 
P  2  pie, 


140  THE     EVIDENCES    OF 

pie,  was  conduced  with  the  greateft 
regard  to  decency;  while  the  utmoft  ab 
horrence  is  expreffed  for  the  horrid  cuftoms 
of  the  heathens.  '  Thou  ihalt  not,  fays 
Mofes,  Deut.  xii.  29.  *  inquire  after  their 

*  gods,  faying  how  did  thofe  nations  ferve 

*  their  gods,  even  fo   will  I  do  like  wife. 

*  Thou   {halt   not    do  fo   unto   the    Lord 
'  thy  God.    For  every  abomination  to  the 

*  Lord,   that  he    hateth,  have  they  done 
'  unto  their  gods.     For  even  their  fonsand 
(  their  daughters  have  they  burned  in  the 
f  fire  to  their  gods/     And  yet  this  very 
thing,   which   is   here   mentioned    as   the 
greateft  enormity  in  the   worlhip  of   tHe 
heathens,  viz.  human  facrifices,  Voltaire  fays 
was  praftifed  in  that  of  the  Jews.      Is  it 
poffible  for  effrontery  to  go  farther  than 
this?   (except  indeed  his  maintaining  that 
the  Jews  were  canibals,  and  fed  on  human 
flefli)   while  without  any  evidence,  but  his 
own,   and  contrary  to  every  reprefentation 
of  the  fads  by  heathen  writers  themfelves, 
he  fpeaks  of  the  heathen  feftivals  as  mere 
feafons  of  perfectly  innocent  feftivity.    But, 

juftly 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  141 

juftly  or  unjuftly,  every  thing  not  Jewifh 
muft  be  harmlefs,  and  their  religion  muft 
be,  as  he  calls  it,  a  deteftable  fuperftition. 

7.  While  the  religion  of  the  Hebrews 
was  f^ee  from  every  ftain  of  impurity,  it 
contained  nothing  of  unneceffary  aufterity. 
It  had  no  painful  rite,  except  that  of  cir- 
cumcifion,  which,  being  performed  on  chil 
dren  of  eight  days  old,  who  can  have  no 
apprehenfion  of  the  thing  before  hand,  and 
whofe  wounds  foon  heal,  is  a  very  trifling 
inconvenience.  The  Hebrews  had  only 
one  faft,  and  that  of  no  more  than  afmgle 
day  in  the  year,  but  three  feftivals  of  fome 
continuance. 

In  the  principal  of  the  heathen  feffi- 
vals  there  was  firft  a  folemn  mourning,  all 
the  people  performing  whatever  was  cuf- 
tomary  at  funerals,  or  in  feafons  of  great 
calamity.  They  tore  their  hair,  Ihaved 
their  heads,  and  mangled  their  flefh.  But 
the  Ifraelites  were  exprefsly  forbidden  to 
do  any  of  thofe  things,  Deut.  xiv.  I .  '  Ye 

*  are  the  children  of  the  Lord  your  God. 

*  Ye  fhall  not  cut  yourfelves,  nor  make  any 

*  baldnfs 


i4a  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

<  baldnefs  between  your  eyes  for  the  dead, 
€  (that  is  for  idolatrous  ufes)  for  ye  are  an 
€  holy   people    to    the    Lord   your  God/ 
Thefe  dire&ions  had  no  view  to  private 
mournings,  for  on  thofe  occafions  they  al 
ways    did    thefe  very  things,  but  to   the 
worfhip  of  God. 

It  was  the  cuftom  of  the  heathens  to 
imprint  on  their  fkin  various  indelible 
marks,  being  figures  and  chara&ers  ex- 
preffive  of  their  devotednefs  to  their  gods, 
which  muft  have  been  a  painful  operation. 
But  this  was  alfo  forbidden  to  the  He 
brews,  Lev.  xix.  27.  '.  Ye  fhall  not  make 

*  any  cuttings  in  your  flefh  for  the   dead, 

*  nor  print  any  marks  upon  you,   I  am  the 

<  Lord.9 

8.  If  the  extreme  of  aufterity  was 
with  fo  much  care  avoided  in  the  Hebrew 
inftitutions,  that  of  fenfual  indulgence  was 
avoided  with  more.  Every  incentive  to 
lewdnefs,  which  was  encouraged,  and 
openly  praclifed,  in  the  heathen  temples, 
was  far  removed  from  the  worfhip  of  Je 
hovah.  The  heathens  were  fond  of  wor- 

ftiipping 


REVEALED  RELIGION.  143 

(hipping  on  the  tops  of  mountains,  and  in 
groves,  in  which  every  Ipecies  of  abomi 
nation  was  committed ;  and  for  this  reafon 
both  were  forbidden  in  the  Hebrew  wor- 
ihip,  Deut.  xvi.  21.'  Thou  ihalt  not  plant 
'  thee  a  grove  near  to  the  altar  of  the 

*  Lord  thy  God,   which  thou  (halt  make 

*  unto  him/ 

In  the  rites  of  fome  of  the  heathen 
deities  men  were  habited  like  women,  and 
women  like  men.  This  was  more  efpeci- 
ally  the  cafe  in  the  worfliip  of  Venus. 
This  manner  of  worfhip  was  alfo  common 
among  the  Syrians,  and  Africans,  and 
thence  it  pafled  into  Europe,  the  Phoeni 
cians  having  brought  it  to  Cyprus.  In  a 
religious  rite  of  the  Argives,  Plutarch  fays 
the  women  were  clothed  like  men,  and 
men  like  women.  But  in  the  laws  of 
Mofes  it  is  faid,  Deut.  xxii.  5.  '  The  wo- 

*  man  fhall  not  wear  that  which  appertain- 

*  eth  unto  man,  neither  fhall  a  man  put  on 
<  a  woman's  garment.     For  all  that  do  fo 

*  are  an  abomination  to  the  Lord  thy  God.' 

You 


144  THE    EVIDENCES,    OF 

You  have  feen  that  the  heathens  had 
places  adjoining  to  their  temples,  in  which 
both  men  and  women  proftituted  them- 
felves  in  honour  of  their  deities,  and  to 
augment  the  revenues  of  the  place.  With  a 
view,  no  doubt,  to  this  abominable  cuftom, 
the  Hebrews  were  commanded  to  avoid 
thefe  pra&ices*  Lev.  xix.  9.  <  Do  not 
'  proflitute  thy  daughter,  to  caufe  her  to 

*  be  a  whore,  left  the  land  fall  into  whore- 
'  dom,   and  the  land  become  full  of  wick- 
'  ednefs.      Ye  fhall  keep  my  fabbaths,  and 
'  reverence  my  fanftuary,   I  am  the  Lord 
'  your  God. 

9.  A  fuperftitious  refpedt  for  the  hea 
then  temples  and  altars  made  them  afylums 
for  all  kinds  of  criminals,  and  it  was  deem 
ed  the  greateft  aft  of  impiety  to  take  any 
perfon  from  thence,  whatever  his  guilt 
had  been,  and  however  clear  the  proof  of 
it.  But  this  was  not  the  cafe  in  the  reli 
gion  of  the  Hebrews,  which  Voltaire  re- 
prefents  as  the  extreme  of  the  moft  detef- 
table  fuperftition.  Ex.  xxi.  12.  '  He  that 

*  fmiteth  a  man  fo  that  he  die,  fhall  furely 

*  be 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  145 

*  be  put  to  death.  If  a  man  lie  not  in  wait, 

*  but  God  deliver  him  into  his  hand,  then 
f  will  I  appoint  thee  a  place  whither  he 

<  fliall  flee.    But  if  a  man  come  prefump- 

*  tuoufly  upon  his  neighbour,  and  flay  him 

*  with   guile,   thou   lhalt  take    him   from 

<  mine  altar,   that  he  may  die."     Where 
then  do  we  find  the  proper  characters  of 
fuperftition,   and  where  are  thofe  of  good 
policy  and  good  fenfe? 


DISCOURSE     VI. 

The  excellence  of  the  Mofaic  Inftitutions. 


Behold  I  have  taught  you  ftatutes  and  judgments,  ev«n  as 
the  Lord  my  God  commanded  me,  that  ye  fhould  do  fo  in 
the  land  whither  ye  go  to  poflefs  it.  Keep  therefore  and 
do  them.  For  this  is  your  wifdom  and  underftanding,  in 
the  fight  of  the  nations  which  fliall  hear  ail  theie  ftatutes, 
and  fay,  Surely  this  great  nation  is  a  wife  and  underftand 
ing  people.  For  what  nation  is  there  fo  great,  who  hath 
God  fo  near  unto  them  as  the  Lord  your  God  is,  in  all 
things  that  ye  call  upon  him  for;  and  what  nation  is  there 
fo  great  that  hath  ftatutes  and  judgments  fo  righteous,  as 
all  this  law  which  I  fet  before  you  this  day. 

DEUT.  iv.  5—8. 

IN  my  laft  Difcourfe  I  began  to  give 
you  a  general  view  of  the  religious  in- 
ftitutions  of  Mofes,  correfponding  to 
that  which  in  two  preceding  Difcourfes, 
I  gave  you  of  the  religion  of  the  heathens, 
to  which  they  were  oppofed :  in  order  to 
enable  you  to  judge  whether  it  was  pro 
bable  that  the  former  were  devifed  by 

men, 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  147 

men,  or  were  of  divine  origin.  You  have 
feen  that,  in  a  variety  of  important  re- 
fpefts,  the  religion  of  the  Hebrews,  faid 
by  unbelievers  to  be  a  barbarous  and  fu- 
perftitious  people,  had  doftrines  and  rites 
infinitely  fuperior  to  thofe  of  the  heathens. 
I  particularly  mentioned  the  great  doc 
trine  of  the  Scriptures  concerning  the 
unity  of  God,  in  oppofition  to  the  multi 
plicity  of  heathen  deities,  his  being  repre- 
fented  as  having  no  definite  form,  fo  1(as  to 
be  worihipped  under  any  image,  his  attri 
butes  of  creating  and  governing  the  world, 
his  omniprefence,  omnifcience,  and  infinite 
wifdom,  the  perfection  of  his  moral  cha- 
rafter,  and  his  making  the  ftrifteft  virtue 
the  great  fend  of  his  worfhip.  I  mention 
ed  the  decency  of  all  the  religious  feftivals 
of  the  Hebrews,  as  the  reverfe  of  the  licen- 
tioufnefs  encouraged  in  thofe  of  the  hea 
thens,  and  at  the  fame  time  their  freedom 
from  any  unneceflary  or  painful  aufterity, 
and  the  peculiar  abhorrence  in  which  hu-* 
man  facrifices,  and  other  rites  of  the  hea 
then  worfhip  were  held  by  the  Hebrews. 

lalfo 


i48  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

I  alfo  obferved  that  the  Hebrew  altars  af 
forded  no  afylum  for  criminals,  which 
thofe  of  the  heathens  conftantly  did. 

i  o.  I  now  proceed  to  obferve  that,  where 
as  much  of  the  attention  of  the  heathen 
nations  was  taken  up  with  the  fuperflitious 
practice  of  divination,  in  a  great  variety  of 
forms,  with  witchcraft  and  necromancy; 
thefe  being  eflential  parts  of  their  religion, 
and  more  ftudied  than  any  other  (fo  that 
at  Rpme  to  defpife  the  eftablifhed  auguries 
would  have  been  reckoned  the  extreme  of 
profanenefs)  the  Hebrews  of  all  the  an- 
tient  nations,  were  entirely  exempt  from 
this  wretched  fuperftition,  the  offspring  of 
the  moft  extreme  ignorance,  though  they 
knew  no  more  of  philofophy,  or  the  true 
caufes  of  events,  than  other  people.  Eve 
ry  branch  of  this  fuperftition  was  ftrictly 
forbidden  to  the  Ifraelites,  as  well  as 
things  of  greater  enormity.  Lev.  xix.  26. 

*  Neither  fhall  ye  ufe  enchantments,  nor 

*  obferve  times/  Deut.  xviii.  10.   '  There 

*  fhall  not  be  found  among  you  any  one 

*  that  maketh  his  fon  or  his  daughter  to 

pafs 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  149 

«  pafs  through  the  fire,   or  that  ufeth  divi- 

*  nation,   or  an  obferver  of  times,   or  an 

*  enchanter,   or  a  witch,  or  a  charmer,  or 
'  a  confulter  with  familiar  fpirits,  or  a  wi- 
'  zard,   or  a  necromancer.      For  all  that 
c  dothefe  things  are  an  abomination  unto 
c  the  Lord,   and  becaufe  of  thefe   abomi- 
'  nations  the  Lord  thy  God  doth  drive  them 
'  out  from   before  thee.      Thou  malt  be 
<  perfeft  with  the  Lord  thy  God.      For 

*  thefe  nations    which    thou   (halt   poflefs 

*  hearkened  unto  obfervers  of  times,   and 

*  unto  diviners;  but  as  for  thee,   the  Lord 

*  thy  God  hath  not  fuffered  thee  fo  to  do.* 
Is  this  any  mark  of  the  deteftable  fuperfti- 
tion,    with   which    Voltaire    charges    the 
religion  of  the  Jews?      On   the  contrary, 
it  is  fuch  good  fenfe,   as  we  in  vain  look 
for  in  the  religions  of  other  nations,   that 
this  writer    reprefents   as    in   all    refpecls 
their  fuperior. 

Confidering  the  very  ftrong  hold  that 
thefe  opinions  and  praclices  (till  have  on 
the  minds  of  men  (for  to  this  day  many 
chriftians,  and  even  many  unbelievers  in 

chriftianity, 


150  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

chriftianity,  have  great  faith  in  charms,  and 
other  things  of  a  fimilar  nature,  relating 
to  good  or  bad  fortune,  as  infignificant  as 
the  failors  whittling  for  a  wind)  there  is 
not  a  clearer  and  more  unequivocal  mark 
of  fuperior,  of  divine  wifdom,  than  the 
contempt  that  is  fo  ftrongly  exprefled  for 
every  thing  of  this  kind  in  the  books  of 
Mofes,  efpecially  confidering  the  times  in 
which  they  were  written. 

1 1 .  The  heathens  had  many  fuperfti- 
tious  rules  with  refpeft  to  facrifoes.  Thus 
hogs  were  facrificed  to  Ceres,  an  owl  to 
Minerva,  a  hawk  to  Apollo,  a  dog  to 
Hecate,  an  eagle  to  Jupiter,  a  horfe  to 
the  fun,  a  cock  to  ./Efculapius,  a  goofe  to 
Ifis,  and  a  goat  to  Bacchus :  The  Zabians 
facrificed  to  the  fun  feven  bats,  feven  mice, 
and  feven  other  reptiles.  The  Egyptians 
were  fo  far  from  facrificing  horned  cattle, 
that  they  worlhipped  them,  as  alfo  the 
ram.  The  Hebrews  alone  kept  to  the 
natural  and  rational  idea  of  facrifices, 
which  was  to  confine  them  to  things  moft 
proper  for  the  food  of  man,  in  order  to 

exprefs 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  151 

exprefs  their  gratitude  to  God,  as  the  giv 
er  of  it,  and,  as  it  were,  to  be  the  guefts 
at  his  table. 

That  facrifices,  though  not  required  of 
Chriftians,  was  a  natural  mode  of  worfhip 
cannot  be  denied,  becaufe  they  were  uni- 
verfal,  and  are  ufed  by  all  heathen  nations 
to  this  day.  No  philofopher,  in  the  mod 
enlightened  period  of  the  heathen  world, 
ever  objected  to  them. 

The  heathens  were  ufed  to  referve 
fome  of  the  flefh  of  the  animals  they  facri- 
ficed  for  fuperftitious  ufes,  as  the  chrif 
tians,  when  fuperftition  crept  in  among 
them,  did  of  the  confecrated  bread  in  the 
the  eucharift.  For  the  chriftians  derived 
all  their  fuperftitious  practices  from  the 
heathens.  When  the  Mahometans  facrifice 
a  fheep,  as  they  always  do  on  their  pilgrim 
age  to  Mecca,  they  dry  a  great  part  of 
the  flefh,  which  by  this  means  may  be 
kept  two  years,  and  make  prefents  of  it 
to  their  friends  at  their  return.  This  was 
probably  an  antient  idolatrous  cuftom, 
which  Mahomet  kept  up.  But  to  prevent 

every 


i^2  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

every  fuperftitious  ufe  of  facrifices,  the 
Hebrews  were  dire&ed  to  keep  nothing  of 
theirs  till  the  next  day ;  and  no  flefti  of 
the  pafchal  lamb  was  to  be  carried  out  of 
the  houfe  in  which  it  was  eaten.  They 
were  alfo  ftri&ly  forbidden  to  eat  any  part 
of  it  raw,  Exod.  xii.  9.  which  has  been 
obferved  to  have  been  a  fuperftitious  and 
indecent  cuftom  with  the  Egyptians,  and 
others. 

12.  Some  part  of  the  firft  fruits  of 
their  harvefts  were  referved  by  the  hea 
thens  for  magical  purpofes.  On  the  con 
trary,  the  Ifraelites  were  dire&ed,  when 
they  prefented  their  firft  fruits,  to  recount 
the  goodnefs  of  God  to  them  in  the  fol 
lowing  pious  form.  Deut.'  xxvi.  in  the 
prefence  of  the  prieft.  <  I  profefs  this 

*  day  unto  the  Lord  thy  God,  that  I  am 

*  come  unto  the  country  which  the  Lord 
'  fware  unto  our  fathers  for  to  give  us." 
When    the   prieft    had  taken    the    baiket 
out  of  his  hand,   and  prefented  it,  he  was 
to  fay  farther.     '  A  Syrian  ready  to  perifh 
'  was  my  father,  and  he  went  down  into 

'  Egypt, 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  153 

*  Egypt,  and  fojourned  there,  with  a  few, 

*  and  there  became  a  great  nation,  mighty 

*  and  populous,    and  the    Egyptians    evil 

*  intreated  us,    and  affli&ed  us,    and  laid 

*  upon    us  hard  bondage,    and  when   we 
'  cried  unto  the  Lord  God  of  our  fathers 
<  the  Lord  heard  our  voice,  and  looked  on 

*  our  affliction,   and  our  labour,    and  our 

*  oppreffion.      And   the  Lord   brought   us 
f  forth  out  of  Egypt  with  a  mighty  hand, 
'  and  an  outftretched  arm,   and  with  great 
t  terriblenefs,  and  with  figns,  and  wonders; 
'  and  he  hath  brought  us  into  this  place, 
(  and  hath  given  us  this  land,   even  a  land 

*  that  floweth  with  milk  and  honey  ;    and 

*  now    behold    I    have    brought   the    firft 
'  fruits  of  the  land  which  thou,  O  Lord, 

*  haft  given  me.' 

When  fome  of  the  antient  idolaters  had 
gathered  all  their  fruits,  they  took  a  kid 
and  boiled  it  in  its  mother's  milk,  and 
with  magical  rites  fprinkled  with  it  their 
fields,  gardens,  and  orchards,  thinking 
that  by  this  means  they  would  become 
fruitful.  This  pradtice  was  exprefsly  for- 

bidden 


154  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

bidden  to  the  Hebrews,   no  doubt,   as  fu- 
perftitious   and    idolatrous.    -  *  Thou   fhalt 

*  not  feethe   a  kid  in  its  mother's  milk." 
(Exod.  xxiii.  10.  Deut.  xiv.  21.)   To  this 
cuftom    it   is  not  improbable  that   Ifaiah, 
alludes,    when    fpeaking   of   idolaters,   he 
fays   (Chap.   Ixv.   4.)     '  Who   eat  fwine's 
'  flefh,    and  broth  of  abominable  things  is 

*  in  their  veffels.'     For    they    might    put 
other  things  into  the  pot  along  with  the 
flefh   of    the  kid.      And  on   this*  account, 
when   they  had   diftributed    their    tythes, 
they  were   directed   to  fay,    (Deut.  xxvi. 
13.)    'I  have  brought  away  the  hallowed 
'  things  out  of  mine  houfe,   and  alfo  have 

*  given    them   to   the    Levite,     and    unto 

*  the  ftranger,   to  the  fatherlefs,    and  to 
'  the  widow,   according  to   all   thy  com- 
c  mandments,   which  thou  haft  commanded 
'  me.      I  have  not  tranfgrefled  thy  com- 

*  mandments,     neither   have    I    forgotten 
'  them.      I  have  not  eaten  thereof  in  my 
'  mourning  (alluding  to  the  folemn  mourn 
ing  in  the  feftival  of  Ifis)  neither  have  I 

*  taken  away  ought  thereof  for   any  un- 

<  clean 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  155 

'  clean  ufe,  nor  given  ought  thereof  for 
'  the  dead/  (that  is  for  idolatrous  purpofes) 
'  but  1  have  hearkened  to  the  voice  of  the 
'  Lord  my  God^  and  have  done  according 

*  to  all  that  thou  haft  commanded  me.  Look 
'  down  from    thy    holy    habitation,  from 
'  heaven,   and  blefs  thy  people  Ifrael,   and 

*  the  land  which  thou  haft  given  us,  as  thou 

*  fwareft   unto  our  fathers,     a  land    that 
'  floweth  with  milk   and  honey."      Here 
certainly  is  piety  and  good  fenfe,    and  no 
thing   of   that   deteftablc  fuperftition,   which 
Voltaire  afcribes  to  this  antient  people. 

1 3 .  The  rules  laid  down  in  the  books 
of  Mofes  for  the  diet  of  the  Ifraelites, 
permitting  the  ufe  of  fome  kinds  of  food, 
and  prohibiting  others,  will,  no  doubt, 
be  deemed  fuperftition  by  fome  perfons. 
But  if  the  particulars  be  confidered,  it  will 
be  found  that  the  Ifraelites  were  confined 
to  that  food  which  was  the  moft  wholefome, 
and  beft  fuited  to  the  climate  they  were 
deftined  to  inhabit.  On  the  contrary, 
there  was  real  and  mere  fuperftition  in  the 
reftriclions  that  many  of  the  heathens  laid 
Q.  2  thenlfelves 


i  $6  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

themfelves  under  in  this  refpeft,  and  in  all 
antient  nations  religion  was  concerned  in 
the  choice  of  food.  Thus  the  Egyptians 
Avould  not  eat  the  flelh  of  a  cow.  It  was 
commonly  faid  of  them,  they  would  as  foon 
eat  that  of  a  man.  Their  priefts,  and 
the  Pythagoreans,  who  followed  them  in 
it,  abftained  from  beans.  The  priefts  in 
Syria  ate  no  fifh,  the  Phoenicians  no  pigeons, 
and  the  antient  Arabians,  abftained  from 
eating  a  variety  of  things,  becaufe  they 
thought  them  particularly  confecrated  to 
fome  of  the  heavenly  bodies,  which  were 
the  objects  of  their  worfhip,  and  becaufe 
they  made  ufe  of  them  in  their  divinations. 
Mofes,  therefore,  or  rather  God  by  him,  in 
order  to  counteract  and  prevent  this  fuper- 
ftition,  (for  it  cannot  Be  called  any  thing 
elfe,  as  the  things  refrained  from  cannot  be 
denied  to  be  wholefome  food,)  eftablifhed 
a  diftinftion  of  meats  on  a  quite  different, 
and  perfectly  rational,  principle. 

The  article  that  will  perhaps  be  moft  ob- 
jefted  to  is  the  prohibition  to  eat  fwines  flejb, 
which  we  find  not  to  be  unwholefome.  But 

the 


REVEALED     RELIGION.  i$» 

the  Egyptians,  Arabians,  and  all  the  eaftern 
nations,  from  Ethiopia  to  India,  deteft 
fwines  flefh,  and  fo  do  the  Mahometans 
univerfally.  As  to  bloody  I  believe  it  is 
generally  allowed  to  be  grofs  and  unwhole- 
fome  food ;  but  probably  the  principal 
reafon  why  it  was  forbidden  to  the  He 
brews,  was  the  ufe  that  was  made  of  it 
in  fome  of  the  facrifices  of  the  heathen 
nations,  who  drank  of  the  blood,  by  way 
of  communicating  with  the  infernal  deities. 
For  this  reafon  too,  it  might  be  that,  in 
the  Hebrew  facrifices,  the  blood  was  di- 
re&ed  to  be  fprinkled  on  the  altar,  or 
poured  out  at  the  foot  of  it.  The  blood 
was  alfo  confidered  as,  in  a  peculiar  man 
ner,  the  feat  of  animal  life;  and  by  giving 
it  back,  as  it  were,  to  God,  they  ac 
knowledged  that  it  came  from  him. 

14.  There  is,  indeed,  hardly  anyfpecies 
of  fuperftition  that  was  pra&ifed  by  the 
antient  idolaters  that  is  not  either  direftly 
noticed,  or  alluded  to,  and  particularly 
guarded  againft,  in  the  religion  of  the  If- 
raelitesr.  The  Zabians,  it  is  faid,  conftruct- 

ed 


i  $8  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

ed  certain  images,  according  to  the  con- 
ftellations,  which  they  called  talifmans,  by 
means  of  which  they  expected  to  perform 
the  greateft  wonders,  and  efpecially  to 
foretel  future  events.  Thefe  were  pro 
bably  the  teraphim  of  which  mention  is 
made  in  the  Hebrew  fcriptures ;  and  it  is 
well  known  that  the  ufe  of  them  was 
condemned  by  Mofes ;  and  the  Ifraelites 
were  directed  to  other  means  of  becoming 
acquainted  with  fuch  future  events,  as  it 
was  proper  for  them  to  be  informed  of. 
But  this  I  fhall  make  the  fubjefl:  of  a  fepa- 
rate  difcourfe. 

There  are  feveral  things  in  the  Hebrew 
ritual  for  which  we  are  not  at  prefent  able 
to  give  any  fatisfaftory  reafon.  But  this 
is  probably  owing  to  our  not  being  fuf- 
ficiently  acquainted  with  remote  antiqui 
ty,  and  efpecially  the  worlhip  of  the  moft 
antient  idolaters,  which  it  was  the  great 
objeft  of  the  Mofaic  inftitutions  to  oppofe. 
For  this  reafon,  and  perhaps,  in  fome 
cafes,  for  no  other,  the  cuftoms  of  the 
Ifraelites  were  ordered  to  be  the  very  re- 

verfe 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  i3-9 

verfe  of  thofe  of  other  nations.  When 
the  heathens  worfhipped  their  fuperior 
divinities,  who  were  fuppofed  to  have  their 
refidence  above  the  clouds,  they  did  it  not 
only  on  mountains,  and  in  high  places, 
but  on  high  altars,  thinking  that  by  that 
means  they  had  a  nearer  accefs  to  the  ob 
jects  of  their  worlhip.  For  this  reafon  the 
Hebrews  were  directed  not  to  build  fuch 
altars,  or  to  worfhip  in  fuch  places.  The 
heathens  ufed  leaven  and  honey,  in  the  cakes 
which  they  offered  to  their  gods,  whereas 
in  thofe  of  the  Ifraelites  they  were  both 
forbidden,  but  they  were  always  to  ufe 
fait.  The  heathens  bowed  towards  the 
Eaft,  as  an  aft  of  homage  to  the  rifing 
fun;  and  therefore  their  temples  were 
made  to  front  the  Weft,  that  when  they 
entered  them,  which  they  always  did 
bowing,  it  might  be  towards  the  Eaft. 
For  this  reafon  the  tabernacle  and  temple 
of  the  Ifraelites  were  made  to  look  to  the 
Eaft,  that  on  entering  them,  the  worfhip- 
pers  might  bow  towards  the  Weft,  turning 
their  backs  on  the  place  of  fun  rifing. 

The 


160  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

The  antient  idolaters  held  heifers  in 
peculiar  veneration,  and  for  this  reafon 
perhaps,  it  was  ordered,  (Deut.  xxi.  3.) 
that  if  any  perfon  was  found  murdered, 
and  the  murderer  could  not  be  difcovered, 
a  heifer  which  had  not  been  ufed  to  the 
yoke  fhould  be  {lain  in  his  place.  It  was 
not  facrificed,  but  its  head  was  to  be  ftruck 
off.  The  Egyptians  held  in  peculiar  abhor 
rence  animals  that  had  red  hair,  which  they 
fuppofed  to  have  been  that  of  Typhon.  In 
oppofition,  perhaps,  to  this,  the  Ifraelites 
were  commanded  to  prepare  their  water 
of  purification  with  the  afhes  of  a  red 
heifer,  without  fpot,  or  perfectly  red. 
Numb.  xix. 

15.  Many  unbelievers  think  that  where- 
ever  there  are  priefts,  there  muft  be  prieft- 
craft,  and  of  courfe  the  intereft  of  the 
people  facrificed  to  their  emolument;  it 
being  always,  as  they  think,  in  the  power  of 
that  order  of  men  to  impofe  upon  the  reft. 
But  there  were  feveral  circumftances  in  the 
fituation  of  the  Hebrew  priefts,  which  ihew 
that  they  could  have  had  no  fuch  power. 

In 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  16 1 

In  the  firft  place,  the  Hebrew  priefts  had 
nofecrets.  Every  thing  that  they  knew 
or  that  they  did,  was  as  well  known  to  the 
whole  nation  as  to  themfelves.  It  was  all 
detailed  in  the  books  of  the  law,  which 
were  not  confined  to  themfelves,  as  the 
facred  books  of  the  Hindoos  are  to  the 
Bramins,  but  directed  to  be  read  in  the 
hearing  of  all  the  people.  To  thefe  books 
they  always  had  accefs,  and  the  Levites 
were  difpe;rfed  all  over  the  country,  that 
they  might  with  the  more  advantage  in- 
ftruct  the  people  in  them. 

So  far  was  Mofes  from  wifhing  that 
the  priefts  fhould  have  any  advantage  over 
the  people,  by  their  fuperior  knowledge, 
that  his  exhortations  to  all  the  people  to 
make  themfelves  accurately  acquainted 
with  the  law  are  peculiarly  emphatical, 
(Deut.  vi.  6.)  Thefe  -words,  'which  I  command 
thee  this  day,  Jhall  be  in  thine  heart.  And  thou 
floalt  teach  them  diligently  unto  thy  children,  and 
fiaUjjgalk  of  them  when  thou  fitteft  in  thy 
houfe,  and  ivben  thou  walkeft  by  the  way,  and 
when  thou  Heft  down,  and  when  tbou  rifeft  up. 

And 


i6a  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

And  tbou  /halt  bind  them  for  a  fign  upon  thine 
bandy  and  they  Jhall  be  as  frontlets  between  thine 
eyes.  And  thou /halt  write  them  upon  the  pojls 
of  thy  houfe,  and  on  thy  gates*  Had  the  If- 
raelites  obferved  this  excellent  precept, 
they  could  never  have  revolted,  as  they 
did,  from  their  own  religion  to  that  of 
the  neighbouring  nations.  It  were  to  be 
wilhed  that  Chriftians  would  obferve  this 
excellent  rule,  or  adopt  the  fpirit  of  it. 
There  would  not  then  be  fo  many  unbe 
lievers  as  there  now  are  in  Chriftian  coun 
tries. 

There  was  indeed,  a  part  of  the  ta 
bernacle,  and  of  the  temple,  into  which 
only  the  priefts  entered,  and  another  into 
which  the  high  prieft  only  entered.  But 
there  was  nothing  depofited  in  thofe  places, 
or  done  in  them,  but  what  was  perfectly 
well  known  to  the  whole  nation,  and  they 
did  not,  and  could  not,  pretend  to  derive 
any  extraordinary  powers  from  their  having 
accefs  to  thofe  particular  places.  Whereas, 
in  all  the  antient  heathen  religions,  there 
were  myfteries  or  fecrets,  with  which  only 

the 


REVEALED    RELIGION  163 

the  initiated  were  acquainted,  and  which 
were  communicated  to  them  under  the 
moft  folemn  oath  of  fecrecy.  Which  of 
thefe  inftitutions  then,  bears  moft  of  the 
marks  of  prieftcraft? 

In  the  next  place,  though  the  Hebrew 
priefts  were  of  a  particular  family,  and 
confidered  as  the  moft  refpectable  order  of 
perfons  in  the  nation,  as  being  more  im 
mediately  employed  in  the  fervice  of  God, 
they  could  have  no  landed  property,  and 
without  this  they  could  never  attain  any 
great  degree  of  civil  power;  and  in  facl: 
their  judges,  who  were  occafionally  ap 
pointed  to  direct  the  civil  power,  and  the 
kings,  who  held  it  permanently,  were  ne 
ver  of  the  order  of  priefts,  till  the  time  of 
the  Maccabees,  which  was  a  long  time 
after  the  Babylonifh  captivity,  when  they 
had  departed  very  far  from  their  original 
plan  of  government. 

However,  the  priefts  of  Ifrael  were  not 
fo  far  a  feparate  order  of  men,  but  they 
were  capable  of  civil  offices.  They  were 
alfo  married,  and  fo  much  mixed  with  the 

reft 


164  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

reft   of  the  people,    that  they  could  have 
no  inter  eft  feparate  from  theirs.       Their 
chief    dependance    was    upon    the    tythes 
which  they  received  from  the  people,  who 
by    this   means    had   them    completely  in 
their  power.      By   this   means,    however, 
it  was  wifely  provided  that  it  fhould  be 
their  intereft   to  inftruft  the   people  in  the 
law,   and  keep  them  to   the  obfervance  of 
it.      But  when  the  priefts  and  Levites  did 
their  duty  in  this  refpect,    and  received  all 
the  advantages  they  could  from  it,   it  does 
not  appear  that  the   tribe  of  Levi,   which 
comprehended  the  family  of   the  priefts, 
the  defcendants  of  Aaron,   was  upon  the 
whole  fo  well  provided  for   as  any  of  the 
other  tribes.     The  Levites  in  general  muft 
have  been  poor ;  for  when  mention  is  made 
of  charity,   the  cafe  of  the  Levite  is  gene 
rally  recommended  together  with  that  of 
the  ftranger,   the  fatherlefs,   and  the  wi 
dow.      Indeed  fome   part  of    the  tythes, 
as  you  have  feen,   were  given  to  all  thefe 
without  diftinetion.      Jacob,   who  foretold 
the  future  condition  of  all  his  fons,   fpeaks 

of 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  165 

of  the  Levites  as  well  as  the  Simeonites, 
as  under  a  kind  of  curfe.  -For  he  fays  of 
them,  Gen.  xlix.  7.  Curfed  be  their  anger  for 
it  iv as  fierce,  and  their  wrath  for  it  ivas  cruel. 
I  ivill  divide  them  in  Jacob,  and  feparate  them 
in  Ifrael.  This  was  a  punifhment  for  their 
treachery,  and  cruelty  with  refpecl:  to  the 
inhabitants  of  Sichern. 

Whatever  advantage  the  Hebrew  priefts 
were  poflefled  of,  it  muft  have  depended 
upon  their  keeping  the  people  to  the  ftrift 
obfervance  of  their  religion.  But  in  this 
they  notorioufly  failed  (which  is  an  abun 
dant  proof  that  their  influence  was  not 
great)  through  the  ftrong  predilection  of 
the  Ifraelites  in  favour  of  the  religions  of 
the  neighbouring  nations ;  and  many  times, 
but  more  efpecially  during  the  reign  of 
Ahab,  the  priefts  of  Baal  had  far  more 
influence  than  the  priefts  or  prophets,  of 
Jehovah.  Elijah  was  then  the  only  pro 
phet  who  made  his  appearance,  while  the 
priefts  of  Baal  including  thofe  of  the  groves, 
or  rather  of  Aftaroth  or  Aftarte,  were 
eight  hundred  and  fifty  (fee  I  Kings,  xviii. 

19.) 


166  THE     EVIDENCES    OF 

19.)  and  there  were  not  more  than  feven 
thoufand  perfons  in  all  the  country  who 
were  not  worfhippers  of  Baal  (i  Kings 
xix.  1 8.)  At  the  fame  time  the  influence  of 
the  court,  and  of  the  nobles,  was  in  fa 
vour  of  that  foreign  religion.  As  to  the 
priefts  of  Jehovah,  there  is  no  mention 
made  of  them  in  any  tranfaftions  of  thofe 
times,  fo  that  they  could  not  have  been 
at  all  confpicuous.  Whatever,  therefore, 
of  prieftcraft  there  was  at  that  time  in  the 
country,  it  muft  have  been  in  the  hands  of 
the  priefts  of  Baal,  and  not  of  thofe  of 
Jehovah. 

1 6.  In  all  antient  ftates,  religion  and 
political  inftitutions  had  a  very  near  con- 
neftion.  With  the  Hebrews,  there  was  a 
peculiar  reafon  for  its  being  fo.  They 
were  a  nation  feparated  from  all  others, 
for  the  fole  purpofe  of  preferving  in  the 
world  the  knowledge  and  worfhip  of  the 
one  true  God,  in  a  time  of  univerfal  de- 
feftion  from  it,  and  they  were  made  to 
depend  upon  the  providence  of  God,  more 
immediately  than  other  nations,  God,  ac 
cording 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  167 

cording  to  their  original  conftitution,  being 
their  proper  King,  or  fupreme*  civil  ma- 
giftrate.  He  was  their  God,  and  they  were 
his  people  in  a  peculiar  fenfe.  In  his  ad- 
drefs  to  them,  when  they  had  left  .Egypt, 
he  fays,  Exod.  xix.  4.  Te  havefeen  what  I 
did  to  the  Egyptians,  and  how  I  bare  you  on 
eagles  wings,  and  brought  you  unto  myfelf. 
Now  therefore  if  ye  will  obey  my  voice  indeed, 
and  keep  my  covenant,  then  ye  Jhall  be  a  peculiar 
treafure  unto  me.  For  all  the  earth  is  mine* 
And  ye  Jhall  be  to  me  a  kingdom  ofpriefts,  and 
a  holy  nation.  He  alfo  fays,  Exod.  xxv.  8. 
Let  them  make  me  a  fanc~iuary,  that  I  may 
dwell  among  them.  Agreeably  to  this,  when, 
in  imitation  of  the  neighbouring  nations, 
they  wiihed  to  have  a  king,  it  was  confi- 
dered  as  a  rejection  of  the  government  of 
God,  to  which  they  had  been  fubject,  and 
therefore  God  fays  to  Samuel  on  the  occa- 
fion,  i  Sam.  viii.  7.  They  have  not  rejected 
thee,  but  they  have  rejected  me,  that  I  ftould 
not  reign  over  them.  Under  the  immediate 
government  of  God,  that  of  the  Hebrews 
was  ah  equal  republic,  while  all  the  neigh 
bouring 


i68  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

bouring  nations  were  governed  by  kings, 
and  in  the  moft  arbitrary  manner.  What 
could  have  led  Mofes  to  think  of  fuch  an 
excellent  mode  of  government  as  this?  He 
could  not  have  feen,  or  heard,  of  any 
thing  refembling  it.  For  at  that  time  no 
fuch  thing  exifted  in  any  part  of  the  world. 

The  religion  and  civil  government  of 
the  Hebrews  having  this  intimate  connec 
tion,    I  (hall  mention  fome  particulars  of 
the  latter,  that  we  may  fee  whether  it  was 
fo  very  barbarous  and  abfurd  a  fyftem  as 
Voltaire  and  other  unbelievers  reprefent  it 
to  have  been,   and  whether  the  civil  infti- 
tutions  of  other  antient  nations  bear  greater 
marks  of  wifdom  and  liberality.      But  on 
this  fubject  I  mean  to  be  very  brief. 

The  great  object  of  the  inftitutions  of 
feveral  of  the  antient  nations  was  offenfive 
-war,   and  conqueft.      That  of  the  Hebrews 
was  fimply  agriculture,  which  is  certainly 
the  moft  natural  and  rational  object,  lead 
ing  to  the  happieft  ftate  of  human  fociety. 
Foreign  commerce  was  not  encouraged, 
on   account  of  the  danger  that  was  to  be 

appehended 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  169 

apprehended  with  refpect  to  their  religion, 
from  an  intercourfe  with  foreign  and 
idolatrous  nations.  And  as  a  purely  agri 
cultural,  and  not  a  commercial  nation, 
they  were  forbidden  to  take  any  intereft 
for  money  lent  to  one  another. 

In  order  to  attach  them  to  the  lands  of 
their  inheritance,  the  Hebrews  had  in  their 
laws  an  excellent  provifion  unknown  in 
any  other,  viz.  their  reverting  to  the  family 
of  the  original  proprietors  at  the  year  of  Ju 
bilee,  which  was  every  half  century,  at 
which  time  alfo  any  contract  which  a  He 
brew  might  make  to  bind  himfelf  to  fervi- 
tude  was  diffolved.  By  this  means  it  was 
not  in  the  power  of  the  moft  improvident 
fpendthrift  intirely  to  ruin  his  family.  He 
could  only  mortgage  his  pofleflion  for  a 
limited  time,  nor  could  there  be  any  in- 
ftance  of  a  permanently  excelfive  landed 
property.  What  an  excellent  inftitution 
was  this  for  preferving  a  reafonable  equality 
among  this  people,  the  only  fecurity  for 
liberty,  and  alfo  for  creating  an  at 
tachment  to  the  foil,  and  of  courfe  the 

R  love 


170  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

love  of  their  country,  in  which  all  hiftory 
fliews  that  no  nation  ever  exceeded,  or 
equalled,  the  Jews. 

Beyond  the  boundary  of  the  land  of 
Canaan,  which  was  promifed  by  God  to 
their  anceftors,  and  of  which  they  got 
pofleffion  not  by  any  power  of  their  own, 
but  by  the  immediate  hand  of  God,  they 
were  not  to  attempt  any  conqueft.  All 
their  wars  were  to  be  defenfive,  and  when 
they  took  arms  to  repel  an  invafion,  they 
were  ordered  in  the  firft  place  to  propofe 
terms  of  peace.  In  cafe  of  fuccefs  in  war, 
and  when,  in  confequence  of  it,  they 
marched  into  the  country  of  the  enemy, 
they  were  required  to  do  no  unneceflary 
injury  to  it ;  and  efpecially  not  to  cut  down 
the  fruit  trees,  and  to  fpare  all  who  did 
not  bear  arms. 

Every  Ifraelite  of  an  age  capable  of 
bearing  arms  was,  as  in  all  antient  nations, 
obliged  to  join  the  army ;  but  at  the  head 
of  it  a  proclamation  was  direcled  to  be 
made,  excufing  every  perfon  who  had 
either  lately  married  a  wife,  built  a  houfe, 

or 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  171 

or  planted  a  vineyard,  which  would  natu 
rally  make  him  more  attached  to  life. 
Even  if  any  man  felt  himfelf  on  any  other 
account  fearful  and  faint  hearted,  he  might 
return  home.  It  is  in  vain  that  we  look 
for  maxims  of  fuch  moderation,  and  good 
fenfe,  in  any  other  antient  nation. 

The  great  ftrength  of  any  country  con- 
fifts  in  its  population,  and  fuch  were  the 
principles  of  the  Ifraelites,  that  with  them 
beyond  all  other  nations,  celibacy  was 
deemed  to  be  a  misfortune,  barrennefs  a 
reproach,  and  a  multitude  of  children  the 
greateft  bleffing.  But  in  heathen  nations 
many  perfons  devoted  themfelves  to  a  fm- 
gle  life  as  an  act  of  religion;  as  the  Veftal 
Virgins  among  the  Romans.  They  were 
heathen  principles  and  practices  that  led  to 
the  fyftem  of  monks  and  nuns  among  Chrif- 
tians. 

The  Hebrew  inftitutions  allowed  of 
fervitude,  but  enjoined  more  humanity  to 
flaves  than  thofe  of  auy  other  nation.  If 
a  mafter,  in  beating  his  flave,  {truck  out 
an  eye,  or  even  a  tooth,  he  was  obliged 

to 


i;s  THE     EVIDENCES    OF 

to  fet  him  free.  Exod.  xxi.  16.  If  a  flave 
committed  a  capital  offence,  the  judge, 
and  not  his  mafter,  was  to  pronounce  the 
fentence.  If  the  mafter  wilfully  murdered 
his  flave,  he  was  to  fufFer  death.  The 
Ifraelites  were  not  permitted  to  ufe  the 
captive  women,  who  were  of  courfe  flaves, 
at  their  pleafure.  The  law  is  fo  exprefs 
on  this  fubjeft,  that  I  mall  recite  it.  Deut. 
xxi.  10.  When  thou  go  eft  forth  to  'war  again  ft 
thine  enemies,  and  the  Lord  thy  God  hath  de 
livered  them  into  thine  hands,  and  thou  haft 
taken  them  captive,  and  fee fl  among  the  captives 
a  beautiful  woman,  and  haft  a  dejire  unto  her, 
that  thou  wouldeft  have  her  to  thy  'wife,  thou 
/halt  then  bring  her  home  to  thy  houfe,  and  Jhe 
Jhall  Jbave  her  head,  and  pare  }>er  nails,  (as  it 
is  in  our  tranflation  ;  but  the  meaning  is 
that  (he  mould  make  them  beautiful  by 
colouring  them,  which  is  at  this  time  done 
in  the  Eaft,  and  confidered  as  a  great  ar 
ticle  of  beauty,)  and  foe  fiall  put  the  raiment 
of  her  captivity  from  off  her ,  and  Jhall  remain  in 
thine  houfe,  and  be-w ail  her  father  and  her  mother 
a  full  month ;  and  after  that  thou  Jball  go  in 

unto 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  173 

unto  her,  and  foe  foall  be  thy  wife.  And  it  fhall 
be  if  thou  have  no  delight  in  her,  then  thou  foalt 
let  her  go  whither  foe  will,  but  thou  foalt  not 
fell  her  at  all  for  money,  thou  /halt  not  make 
merchandife  of  her,  becaufe  thou  haft  humbled 
her.  We  fhall  find  no  law  approaching  to 
the  humanity  of  this  among  the  Greeks  or 
Romans,  a  thoufand  years  after  this  time, 
and  ftill  lefs  among  nations  of  greater  an 
tiquity.  How  little  will  the  treatment 
of  (laves  by  Europeans  bear  to  be  compar 
ed  with  this  ? 

Voltaire  charges  the  Jews  with  a  vio 
lent  hatred  of  all  other  nations ;  but  let  us 
attend  to  their  original  laws  and  inftitu- 
tions  on  this  fubjecl,   Deut.  xxii.   8.   If  a 
ftr anger  fojourn  with  you  in  your  land,  ye  foall 
not  vex  him,  but  the  fir  anger  foall  dwell  with 
you.     He  foall  be  unto  you  as  one  born  among 
you,  and  tbou  foalt  love  him  as  thjfelf.     For 
ye  were  ftr  angers  in  the  land  of  Egypt.     I  am  the 
"Lord your  God.     T'he  Lord  lovetb  the  ftranger. 
Exod.  xxii.  22.  Many  antient  nations  made 
great  difficulties  about  the   naturalization 
of   foreigners;    but   among  the  Hebrews 

any 


174  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

any  perfon,  being  circumcifed,  and  con 
forming  to  the  laws  of  the  land,  became 
one  of  themfelves  in  all  refpecls.  Only,  for 
particular  reafons,  perfons  of  certain  na 
tions  could  not  be  completely  naturalized 
till  after  the  expiration  of  a  certain  num 
ber  of  generations. 

In  all  antient  nations,  and  many  mo 
dern  ones,  torture  was  made  ufe  of  both 
in  the  punifhment  of  crimes,  and  for  pro 
curing  evidence.  But  no  ufe  whatever  was 
made  of  it  among  the  Hebrews.  Punifh- 
inent  by  fcourging  was  limited  to  forty 
ftripes.,  murder  and  fome  other  atrocious 
crimes  were  punifhed  with  death,  but  exe 
cutions  were  performed  by  (toning  or  hang 
ing,  and  the  body  buried  before  funfet. 
Where,  then,  are  thofe  "  cruel  and  tor- 
"  turous  executions,  and  that  unrelenting 
'"  vindiclivenefs"  which  Mr.  Paine  fays 
contribute  to  make  him  coniider  the  Bible 
as  "  the  word  of  a  demon  rather  than  the 
"  word  of  God,"  and  which  makes  him 
((  deteft  it,"  as  he  fays  "  he  detefls  every 
"  thing  that  is  cruel."  They  have  no 

exiftence 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  175 

exiftence  whatever,  but  in  his  own  ima 
gination.  How  eafy  is  it  to  calumniate 
what  a  man  does  not  unde-rftand,  and  what 
he  is  ftrongly  predifpofed  to  diflike  and  mif- 
reprefent.  In  cafes  of  mere  manflaughter, 
a  city  of  refuge  was  provided,  in  which  the 
innocent  author  of  the  death  of  another, 
was  fafe  from  the  purfuit  of  the  relations 
of  the  deceafed.  Theft  was  puniflied  by 
reftitution,  by  fine,  or  flavery,  but  not 
with  death. 

Such,  my  brethren,  is  the  general  out 
line,  and  fome  of  the  principal  features, 
of  that  fyftem  of  religion,  and  civil  policy, 
which  Voltaire  treats  as  moft  execrable; 
but  judge  for  yourfelves  with  what  juftice. 
On  the  contrary,  I  have  no  doubt  but 
that,  if  all  the  circumftances  of  the  He 
brew  nation,  and  of  other  antient  and 
neighbouring  nations,  could  be  known, 
we  fhould  be  fatisfied  that  it  was,  in  all 
refpecls,  the  beft  fyftem  poffible,  as  much 
fuperior  to  any  of  thofe  of  human  inven 
tion,  as  the  works  of  nature  are  fuperior 
to  thofe  of  art. 

R  2 


DISCOURSE     VII. 

The  Principles  of  the  Heathen  Pbilofoply 
compared  with  thofe  of  Revelation. 


The  world  by  wifdom  knew  not  God. 

i.  COR.  i.  ai. 


IN  my  two  laft  difcourfes  I  fhewed 
you  how  greatly  fuperior  were  the  religious 
inftitutions  of  Mofes,  though  fo  much  de 
cried  by  modern  unbelievers,  to  thofe  of 
the  heathens,  the  fhocking  enormities,  and 
grofs  abominations,  of  which  are  fo  much 
difguifed  and  fmoothed  over  by  them.  But 
becaufe  it  will  be  faid  that  what  I  then 
exhibited  was  only  the  fyftem  oSfuperftition, 
adopted  by  the  vulgar,  and  that  the  more 
intelligent  perfons  among  the  heathens 
(though  for  political  reafons,  they  did  not 
chufe  to  oppofe,  and  even  countenanced 
it)  held  a  more  rational  fyftem,  I  ihall 

now 


THE     EVIDENCES,    &c.  177 

now  fhow  you  what  that  more  rational  fyf- 
tem  waso 

For  this  purpofe  I  fhall  lay  before  you 
and  in  as  intelligible  a  manner  as  I  can,  (for 
I  will  not  undertake  to  make  the  two  dif- 
courfes  which,  it  will  be  neceflary  for  me 
to  give  on  this  fubjecl,  perfectly  intelligible 
to  all)  what  it  was  that  the  philofophers 
among  the  antients  really  thought  concern 
ing  the  fyftem  of  nature,  and  the  govern 
ment  of  the  world,  and  alfo  concerning 
the  nature  of  man,  and  his  future  deflina- 
tion,  with  fome  of  their  ideas  concerning 
the  principles  of  morals,  that  you  may 
compare  them  with  thofe  that  are  advanced 
in  the  fcriptures.  And  if  it  appear  that 
thofe  are  more  confonant  to  reafon,  it  will 
afford  a  confiderable  prefumption  that  they 
were  of  divine  origin.  For  how  can  it 
be  fuppofed  that  the  authors  of  the  books 
of  fcripture,  who  had  no  advantage  of 
literature,  and  whom  unbelievers  treat 
with  the  greateft  contempt,  for  their  ig 
norance  and  barbarity,  fhould  have  adopted 
a  more  rational  fyftem  on  thefe  great  fub- 

jecls 


178  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

jecls  than  thofe  who  have  been  the  moft 
celebrated  for  their  wifdom  in  the  moft 
polifhed  and  civilized  nations  in  the  world. 
It  will  be  very  eafy  to  make  this  compari- 
fon,  as  there  is  fufficient  evidence  what 
the  tenets  of  the  antient  philofophers  were, 
many  of  their  own  writings  being  now 
extant,  as  well  as  the  fcriptures  of  the 
Old  and  New  Teftament. 

i .  It  was  a  fundamental  maxim  with 
all  the  philofophers  of  antiquity,  that  c 
tioji  from  nothing,  was  abfolutely  impoffible  ; 
and  many  of  thofe  who  admitted  a  princi 
ple  of  intelligence  in  the  univerfe,  main 
tained  that  matter  in  fome  confufed  chaotic 
mafs  was  another  principle,  coeternal  with 
it,  and  independent  of  it,  and  therefore 
could  only  be  modified,  but  not  deftroyed 
by  it.  Mofes  on  the  contrary,  aflerts  a 
proper  creation  of  every  thing  that  exifts, 
antecedent  to  the  chaotic  ftale  which  he  de- 
fcribes.  Gen.  i.  i.  In  the  beginning  God 
created  the  heavens  and  the  earth,  and  the  earth 

without  form  and  voLi,  and  darkaefs  luas 
upon   the  face  of  the  deep.      And   fince    the 

properties 


REVEALED     RELIGKflC.  179 

properties  of  bodies    are  all  that  1  AV 

of  them,  the  appointment  and  changing 
of  thfe,  which  the  philofophers  admitted 
to  be  within  the  province  of  the  intelligent 
principle,  implies  a  power  of  proper  crea 
tion,  and  proper  deflru&sa*.  For  if  we 
take  away  all  the  properties  of  any  thing, 
nothing  will  be  left.  The  fyftem  of  Mofes 
therefore,  is  more  rational  than  theirs. 
This,  however,  continued  to  be  the  doc 
trine  of  the  Greek  philofophers  to  the 
lateft  period  of  their  hiftory.  Plato  held 
that  matter  exifted  cceternaily  with  God. 
Alfo,  according  to  Zeno,  the  founder  of 
the  ftoical  philofophy,  "  there  exiited  from 
' '  all  eternity  a  dark  and  confufed  chaos,  in 
66  which  were  contained  the  principles  of 
"  all  future  beings." 

2.  Another  fet  of  philofophers,  and 
perhaps  of  greater  antiquity  than  the 
other,  equally  maintaining  that  creation 
from  nothing  was  impoffible,  maintained 
that  every  thing,  was  originally  emitted 
from  the  fubftance  of  the  felf-exiftent  and 
fupreme  Being.  And  not  only  did  they 

fuppofe 


i8o  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

fuppofe  that  intelligent  beings  of  all  orders 
proceeded  from  him,  by  this  mode  of 
emenation,  as  rays  of  light  from  the  fun; 
but  that  other  fubftances  of  an  inferior 
nature  proceeding  in  the  fame  manner 
from  them,  at  laft  matter  itfelf,  the  moft 
remote  from  the  divine  eflence,  came 
into  exiftence,  and  therefore  that  this  fub- 
ftance,  of  which  they  fpeak  with  the  great- 
eft  contempt,  had  its  origin  from  the  di 
vine  eflence.  This  was  the  fyftem  of  the 
Oriental  philofophy,  which  is  ftill  found  in 
Indoftan,  and  other  parts  of  the  Eaft,  and 
from  them  was  derived  the  doctrine  of  the 
Gno/lics,  by  which  Chriftianity  was  cor 
rupted  in  the  time  of  the  apoftles.  I  need 
not  fay  how  far  this  notion  of  the  deriva 
tion  of  every  thing  from  the  fubftance  of 
the  divine  Being,  deviates  from  reafon. 
There  is  .certainly  nothing  fo  wild  and  ab- 
furd  as  this  in  the  writings  of  Mofes,  who 
always  fuppofes  God  to  have  created  all 
things,  but  not  by  the  projection  of  them 
from  his  own  eflence. 

The 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  181 

The  fame  clafs   of  philofophers   who 

held  that  every  thing  had  been  produced 

from  the  fubftance  of  the  Supreme  Being, 

alfo  fuppofed  that,   after  a  certain  period, 

they  would  be  abforbed  into  it  again;  and 

as  originally  nothing  had  exifted  befides  this 

felf-exiftent  being,    he  would   again  exift 

alone ;  but  that  after  another  period,  other 

beings  would  be  again  produced  from  him, 

and  that  thefe  fucceflive  revolutions  would 

go  on  forever.      This  ever  has  been,   and 

ftill  is,  the  eftablifhed  doQrine  in  the  Eaft, 

and  it  was  adopted  by  fome  of  the  Grecian 

philofophers,   efpecially  the   Stoicks,    who 

faid  that  "   the  world,  including  the  whole 

"   compafs  of  nature,   both  God  and  mat- 

"  ter,   had  fubfifted  from  all  eternity,  and 

"  would  for    ever  fubfift;     but   that    the 

"  prefent  regular  frame  of  nature  had  a 

"  beginning,    and    would    have    an    end, 

"  from  the  alternate  prevalence  of  moijlure 

"   and  drynefs ;   that  when  the  former  pre- 

"  vails,   all  things  are  deftroyed  by  an  in- 

"  initiation,   and  when  the  latter  prevails, 

"  by  a  conflagration;  that,  however,  from 

"  both 


i8s  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

"  both  of  thefe  cataftrophe's  every  thing 
"  will  again  emerge,  by  the  energy  of 
"  an  efficient  principle,  when  all  the  forms 
"  of  regular  nature  will  be  renewed,  but 
"  to  be  again  diflblved,  and  again  renewed, 
"  in  an  endlefs  faccefiion." 

This  fcheine  excludes  all  idea  of  melio 
ration.  For  according  to  it,  every  thing 
has  been,  and  in  all  future  revolutions 
ever  will  be,  juft  what  it  now  is.  Accord 
ingly  Seneca  fays,  that  ".many  perfons 
"  would  reject  this  reftoration  of  being, 
"  were  it  not  this  reftoration  will  be  ac- 
"  companied  with  a  total  oblivion  of  pad 
"  events."  How  far  lefs  rational,  as  well 
as  lefs  pleafmg,  is  this  fyftem,  than  that  of 
the  fcriptures,  which  fuppofes  a  conftant 
tendency  to  a  better  ftate  of  things,  every 
rational  being  retaining  his  feparate  con- 
fcioufnefs,  always  diftinft  from  the  fu- 
preme  Being,  but  making  nearer  ap 
proaches  to  him  in  perfection  and  happi- 
nefs  to  all  eternity.  As  to  any  proof,  or 
evidence,  of  die  truth  of  this  philofophical 
fyftem,  of  every  thing  having  been  produced 

by 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  183 

by  way  of  emanation  from  the  divine  effence, 
and  being  abforbed  into  it  again,  it  is  only 
this ;  that  there  cannot  be  iivo  eternal 
principles,  and  therefore  every  thing  that 
exifts,  muft  have  been  derived,  imme 
diately  or  mediately,  from  one,  and  this 
one  muft  have  been  the  fpiritual  and  intelli 
gent  principle.  But  will  any  modern  phi- 
lofopher  admit  the  validity  of  fuch  an  argu 
ment  as  this,  and  adopt  the  conclufion  ? 
It  is  univerfally  rejected  with  contempt. 

As  to  the  effence,  or  fubftance,  of  the 
Supreme  Being,  from  which  they  fay  that 
all  things  were  derived,  it  is  a  queftion  of 
no  moment ;  fince  all  that  we  have  to  do 
with  are  his  attributes,  as  thofe  of  power, 
wifdom,  and  benevolence,  in  whatever 
it  be  that  they  may  be  faid  to  refide. 
But  according  to  our  apprehenfions,  there 
is  fomething  degrading  in  the  idea  of 
his  being  of  the  fame  nature  with  all 
other  beings,  as  he  muft  be,  if  every  thing 
was  produced  by  mere  protrufion  from 
his  fubftance.  Zeno,  however,  fuppofed 
that  both  "  the  aclive  and  paffive  princi 
ples 


1 84  THE     EVIDENCES    OF 

"  pies  in  nature,"  that  is,  both  God,  and 
matter,  "  were  alike  corporeal,  only  that 
"  the  former  was  a  pure  ether,  or  fire, 
"  occupying  the  external  furface  of  the 
"  heavens,  that  is,  a  more  attenuated  kind 
"  of  matter."  And  Epicurus,  conceiving 
the  human  form  to  be  the  moft  perfect, 
faid  that,  "  though  the  gods  were  of  an 
"  ethereal  fubftance,  they  were  fliaped 
*4  like  men." 

3.  Both  the  clafles  of  philofophers, 
whofe  opinions  I  have  now  defcribed, 
admitted  a  principle  of  intelligence  in  the 
univerfe,  and  a  real  diftinclion  between 
God  and  matter.  But  in  later  times  this 
was  by  many  denied,  and  fome  philofo- 
phers  even  proceeded  fo  far  as  not  to 
admit  the  exiftence  of  any  fuch  being  as 
Gody  in  any  fenfe  of  the  word.  Sancho- 
niatho,  explaining  the  philofophical  fyftem 
of  the  Phoenicians,  fays,  that  "  the  uni- 
"  verfe  arofe  from  the  neceflary  energy 
"  of  an  eternal  principle,  aftive  but  with-- 
c<  out  intelligence,  upon  the  eternal  paffive 
€<  chaotic  mafs."  This  is  fuppofed  to 

have 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  185 

have  been  advanced  in  oppofition  to  the 
principles  of  Mofes ;  but  certainly  thefe 
will  not  fuffer  any  thing  by  the  compar- 
rifon.  If  there  be  no  marks  of  intelligence, 
that  is,  of  defign,  in  the  univerfe,  where 
fhall  we  find  them  ?  not  furely  in  the  works 
of  men.  How  much  more  juft  and  noble 
are  the  fentiments  and  language  of  the 
Pfalmift,  Pfalm  civ.  24.  0  Lord  how  manifold 
are  thy  ivorfo,  in  luifdom  haft  thou  made  tfam 
all. 

Ariflotle  did  not  in  words  deny  the  be 
ing  of  a  God,  but  he  fuppofed  the  univerfe 
to  have  exifted  from  all  eternity,  indepen 
dent  of  any  wifdom  or  contrivance,  of  his. 
He  only  confidered  him  as  the  f  main  fpring 
'  of  the  whole  machine,  and  therefore 

*  properly  a  part  of  it,   employed,  in  fome 
6  inexplicable  manner,    in  communicating 

*  motion  to  it.'      Strato  of   Lampfacus,  a 
difciple  of  Ariftotle,  held  that  <  the  world 
'  was  neither  formed  by  the  agency  of  the 

*  deity,   diftincl:  from  matter,  nor  by  any 

*  intelligent  animating  principle,   but  that 

*  it  arofe  from  a  force  innate  in  matter, 

s  originally 


i86  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

*  originally  excited  by  accident,   and  fince 
'  continuing  to  act  according  to  the  pecu- 
'  liar  qualities  of  natural  bodies.  He  neither 

*  denied  nor  aflerted  the  exiftence  of  a  di- 
'  vine  nature,    but,    in  excluding  all   idea 

*  of  a  deity   from   the  formation   of   the 
'  world,   he  indirectly  excluded  him  from 

<  his  fyftem.' 

Thefe  atheiftical  doctrines  were  not 
confined  to  a  fingle'  philofopher,  or  his 
difciples,  many  of  them,  and  thofe  of  the 
greateft  eminence,  entertained  the  fame, 
or  fimilar,  fentiments.  Democrates  held 
that  '  the  firft  principles  of  all  things  were 
'  atoms  and  a  vacuum,  in  which,  by  a  natural 
(  neceffity,  or  fate,  they  perpetually  move, 
'  and  that  from  their  combinations  arife 

<  all  the  forms  of  things.'   Pythagoras,  alfo 
'  had  held  that    '  motion  is  the  effect  of  a 
'  power  eflential  to  matter.'    Protagoras  in 
one  of  his  books,  faid  concerning  the  gods; 

<  I  am  unable  to  determine  whether  they 
*  have   any  exiftence,    or  not.       For  the 

<  wreaknefs  of  the  human  underftanding,  and 
6  the  fhortnefs  of  human  life,  with  many 

*  other 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  187 

*  other  caufes,   prevent  us  from   attaining 
^this  knowledge.'      But  Diagoras  openly 
denied  the  exiftence  of  a  deity.  Heraclitus 
'  made  ufe  of  the  term  God,  but  not  to 

*  denote  a  diftincl:  being  of  a  peculiar  na- 

*  ture,  but  merely  a  natural  force  in  that 

*  primary  fire,    from   which   he   fuppofed 
'  all  things  to  have  proceeded,  and  by  means 
'  of   which  he  fuppofed  that  its  particles 

*  had  been  in  eternal  motion,  and  at  length 
'  to    have  united,     to    form    the  prefent 

*  fyftem    of   nature.    To    this  force,    con- 

*  fidered  as   diftincl:  from  matter  on  which 
<  it  acls,  he  applied  the  term  god.' 

Epicurus  admitted  a  deity  into  his  fyf 
tem,  but  it  was  chiefly  to  avoid  popular 
odium.  For  he  maintained  that  "  the 
"  univerfe  always  exifted,  and  will  always 
"  continue  to  exift  ;  for  that  there  is  no- 
"  thing  by  which  it  can  be  changed. 
"  There  is  nothing,  he  faid,  in  nature,  nor 
if  can  there  be  conceived  to  be  any  thing, 
"  befides  body  and  fpace;  that  the  atoms, 
"  from  which  all  things  were  compofed, 
"  are  not  only  all  the  materials  of  which 
s  2  bodies 


1 88  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

"  bodies  are  made,  but  that  the  energy,  or 
"  principle  of  motion,  which  eftentially  be- 
"  longs  to  them,  is  the  fole  agent  in  the 
"  operations  of  nature." 

As  the  Oriental  philofophers  fuppofed 
that  all  things  Would  be  refolved  into  the 
divine  effence,  from -Which  they  originally 
fprung,  Epicurus  fuppofed  that  they  would 
be  refolved  into  their  original  atoms. 
"  The  world,"  he  faid,  "  is  preferved  by 
"  the  fame  mechanical  caufes  by  which  it 
"  was  framed,  and  from  the  fame  caufes 
"  it  will  atlaft  be  diffolved.  The  inceffant 
"  motion  of  the  atoms  which  produced 
c*  the  world  is  continually  operating  to- 
"  Wards  its  diffolution.  For  nothing  is 
"  folid  and  indiflbluble  befides  atoms ; 
"  whence  it  may  be  concluded,  that  the 
"  time  will  come  when  nothing  will  re- 
"  main  but  the  original  atoms,  and  infinite 
"  fpace." 

Epicurus  abfolutely  denied  all  wifdom 
in  the  conftruction  of  the  univerfe,  even 
in  the  mofl  obvious  inftances.  "  T^he 
"  parts  of  animals,"  he  faid  "  were  not 

(<  originally 


REVEALED  RELIGION.  189 

cc  originally  framed  for  the  ufes  to  which 
"  they  are  now  applied;  but  having  been 
"  accidentally  produced,  they  were  after- 
"  wards  accidentally  employed.  The  eye, 
"  for  example,  was  not  made  for  feeing, 
"  nor  the  ear  for  hearing;  but  the  foul 
"  being  formed  within  the  body,  at  the 
"  fame  time  with  the  organs,  and  con- 
"  ne&ed  with  them,  could  not  avoid  mak- 
"  ing  ufe  of  them,  in  their  refpeclive 
"  funftions." 

Can  we  attend  to  thefe  things,  and 
not  be  ftruck  with  the  truth  of  the  apof- 
tle's  obfervation  in  my  text,  the  -world  by 
wifdom  knew  not  God.  It  was  not  even  able 
to  retain  that  knowledge  of  God  which 
had  been  originally  communicated  to  man. 
And  how  juftly  is  their  cafe  defcribed  by 
the  fame  apoftle,  in  another  paflage,  where 
he  fays,  Rom.  i.  21.  They  became  vain  in 
their  imaginations,  and  their  foolijh  heart 
was  darkened.  But  are  not  their  minds 
equally,  or  more,  darkened,  who  can  pre 
fer  the  abfurd  conceits  of  thefe  philofo- 
phers,  torthe  rational  docTrines  of  revela 
tion? 


i9o  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

tion?  We  fhall,  however,  fee  more  of  the 
wanderings  of  the  human  imagination 
when  left  to  itfelf,  in  what  I  have  farther 
to  obferve. 

4.  The  exiftence  of  evil  always  creat 
ed  the  greateft  difficulty  to  thofe  who 
fpeculated  concerning  the  origin  and  con- 
ftruftion  of  the  univerfe,  and  the  caufes 
of  events.  Indeed,  fo  difficult  is  the  quef- 
tion,  that  nothing  but  revelation  could 
have  folved  it.  In  the  fcriptures  we  learn 
that  evil,  as  well  as  good,  is  the  appoint 
ment  of  the  fame  great  Being,  but  always 
for  the  moft  benevolent  purpofes.  Shall 
*we  receive  good  at  the  hand  of  God,  fays  Job, 
chap.  ii.  10,  and  flail  we  not  receive  evil? 
ch.  i.  21.  The  Lord  gave,  and  the  Lord  hath 
taken  aivay,  Blejfed  be  the  name  of  the  Lord. 
In  Ifaiah,  xlv.  6,7,  I  am  the  Lord,  and  there 
is  none  elfe.  I  form  the  light,  and  create  dark- 
nefs ;  I  m  make  peace,  and  create  evil;  I  the 
Lord  do  all  thefe  things.  All  thefe  evils,  in 
the  adminiftration  of  this  greateft  and  beft 
of  Beings,  are  fubfervient  to  good,  as  the 
Pfalmift  fays,  Pf.  xcvii.  I ,  The  Lord  reigneth 

let 


REVEALED    RELIGION-.       /          igi 

let  the  earth  rejoice,  let  the  midtitude  of  the  ifles 
be  glad  thereof.  Clouds  and  darknefs  are  round 
about  him,  righteoufnefs  and  judgment  are  the 
habitation  of  his  tfoone.  But  through  thefe 
clouds  and  this  darknefs,  the  heathens,  by 
the  help  of  their  greateft  wifdom  could  not 
fee.  Some  of  the  antients,  as  the  Perfians, 
thought  that  there  were  tiuo  independent  prin 
ciples  in  nature,  one  the  author  of  good, 
and  the  other  of  evil.  The  good  prin 
ciple  they  called  Oromazcs,  and  the  evil 
Arimanius.  The  Egyptians  alfo  worfhip- 
ped  an  .evil  principle  under  the  name  of 
Typbon. 

The  Greek  philofophers  in  general  con- 
fidered  matter  as  the  caufe  of  all  evil.  In 
their  antient  cofmogonies  it  is  afcribed  to 
chaos.  Plato  held  that  *  there  is  in  matter 

*  a  neceffary  but  blind  and  refractory  force, 
6  from  which  arifes  a  propenfity  to  diforder 

*  and  deformity,'  which  he  faid,  '  was  the 

*  caufe   of  all  the    imperfeftion   which   is 

*  found  in  the  works  of  God;'  fo  that  he 
appears  to  have  thought  that  matter,  from 
its  nature,  refifts  the  will  of  the  fupreme. 

artificer, 


THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

artificer,  fo  that,  on  this  account,  he  cannot 
perfectly  execute  his  defigns.  Plato  was 
alfo  influenced  by  the  argument  from  con 
traries.  '  It  cannot  be/  he  faid,  '  that  evil 

<  fliquld  be  deftrpyed;  for  there  muft  al- 
«  ways  be  fomething  contrary  to  good/ 

The  Stoics  faid  that  '  evil  was  the  ne- 
'  ceflary  confequence  of  eternal  necefjity,  to 
'  which  the  great  whole,  comprehending 
'  both  God  and  matter,  was  fubjeft.' 
When  Chryfippus  was  alked  whether  dif- 
eafes  were  to  be  afcribed  to  divine  provi 
dence,  he  replied,  that  *  it  was  not  the  in- 
'  tendon  of  nature  that  thefe  things  fhould 

<  happen,   nor  were  they  conformable  to 

*  the  will  of  the  author  of  nature,  and  the 
*•  parent  of  all  good ;  but  that,  in  framing 

*  the  world,   fome  inconvenience  had  ad- 

*  hered  by  neceflary  confequence  to  his  wife 

*  and  ufeful  plan.' 

How  different  is  this  from  the  fublime 
do&rine  of  the  fcriptures  on  this  fubjeft, 
as  when  we  read,  Pfalm  cxxxv.  23. 
I  know  that  the  Lord  is  great,  and  that  our  Lord 
is  above  all  gods.  Whatever  the  Lord  pleafed 

that 


REVEALED    RELIGION  193 

that  did  hcin  heaven  and  in  earth,  in  the  feas, 
and  all  deep  places. 

5.  It  is  in  vain  that  we  look  for  the 
rational  and  fiiblime  doftrine  of  an  universal 
providence  among  the  philofophers  of  anti 
quity.  But  according  to  the  fcriptures, 
there  is  no  event,  great  or  fmall,  but  what 
comes  to  pafs  according  to  the  will  of 
God.  Dan.  ii.  20.  Bleffed  be  the  name  of 
God  for  ever  and  ever  ;  for  ivifdom  and  might 
are  his.  He  changeth  the  tvmes  and  feafons,  he 
removeth  kings  and  fetteth  up  kings.  The 
proud  king  of  Aflyria,  in  the  midft  of  his 
conquefts,  is  reprefented,  If.  x.  5.  as  the 
ftaff  in  the  hand  of  God.  At  the  fame  time 
we  are  aflured  by  our  Saviour,  Mat.  x.  33. 
that  a  fparroiu  falletb  not  to  the  groundiuithouthis 
ivill,  and  that  the  very  hairs  of  our  heads  are 
numbered.  And  this  is  true  philofophy,  for  fo 
connected  are  all  the  parts  of  the  fyftem, 
that  the  fmalleft  things  are  as  neceflary  as 
the  greateft,  and  in  many  cafes  we  cannot 
but  fee  that  the  greateft  things  depend 
upon  the  fmalleft.  Voltaire  juftly  ob- 
ferves  that  had  a  particular  ftone  been 

thrown 


?94  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

thrown  with  a  little  more  force,  it  would 
have  given  a  different  turn  to  the  whole 
hiftory  of  the  Eatt.  It  was  a  ftone  by 
which  Mahomet  was  knocked  down,  as 
he  was  engaged  in  battle,  but  not  killed. 

There  is  moft  of  the  appearance  of  the 
doftrine  of  a  providence  among  the  Stoics. 
But  according  to  Zeno  and  Chryfippus, 

*  there  is  in  nature  a  fate,    or  an  eternal 
<  and  immutable  feries    of  caufes  and  ef- 

*  feels,  within  which  all  events  are  includ- 
'  ed,    and  to  which   the  Deity  himfelf  is 
'  fubject/    though  the    later    Stoics,    who 
wrote  after  the  promulgation  of  chriftianity, 
changed  this  fate  into  the  providence  of  the  gods. 

Other  philofophers  did  not  pretend 
that  God,  or  the  gods,  had,  in  any  fenfe, 
or  in  any  refpecl,  the  government  of  the 
world.  According  to  Ariftotle,  the  Deity, 
if  it  can  be  faid  that  he  believed  in  any 
proper  deity,  '  is  eternally  employed  in  the 

*  the   contemplation   of  his    own    nature. 

*  He    obferves    nothing    (this    philofopher 

*  fays)  he  cares  for  nothing  beyond  himfelf. 
c  -Refiding  in  the  firft  fphere,  he  poffefles 

6  neither 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  195 

<  neither     immenfity    nor     omniprefence. 

*  Removed   from    the    inferior    parts    of 
'  the   univerfe,  he  is  not  even  a  fpeftator 

*  of  what  is  paffing  among  its  inhabitants, 
'  and  therefore  cannot  be  a  proper  objecl 
f  of  worfhip.' 

Epicurus,  I  have  obferved,  faid  that 
there  were  gods,  only  to  avoid  popular 
odium.  According  to  his  own  account  of 
them,  they  were  of  no  manner  of  ufe  in 
creating  or  governing  the  world.  ' '  There 
"  are,"  he  faid,  "  in  the  univerfe  divine 
"  natures,  but  that  it  is  inconfiftent  with 
"  our  natural  notions  of  the  gods,  as  hap- 
"  py  and  immortal  beings,  to  fuppofe  that 
"  they  encumber  themfelves  with  the  ma- 
66  nagement  of  the  world,  or  that  they 
*•  are  fubjeft  to  the  cares  and  paflions 
"  which  muft  neceflarily  attend  fo  great 
"  a  charge.  We  are  not,  therefore,  to 
"-conceive  that  the  gods  have  any  inter- 
"  courfe  with  mankind,  or  any  concern 
"  in  the  affairs  of  the  world."  But,  ac 
cording  to  the  fcriptures,  every  thing  is 
conducted  by  the  Suprejne  Being,  without 

trouble. 


i*6  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

trouble.  With  refpect  to  creation  itfelf,  it 
is  faid,  He  fpake  and  it  'was  done,  be  command 
ed  and  it  flood  f aft.  He  faid  Let  there  be  light, 
and  there  'was  light;  and  the  government  of 
the  world,  is  no  doubt,  as  eafy  to  him  as 
the  creation  of  it.  It  is,  in  fact,  a  continu 
ation  of  the  fame  exertion,  whatever  that 
be.  But  no  idea  fo  fublirne  as  this  was 
ever  entertained  by  any  heathen  philofo- 
pher. 

It  was  the  confideration  of  the  immen- 
fity  of  the  univerfe,  and  the  idea  men  had 
of  the  multiplicity  of  cares  that  was  ne- 
ceflary  to  the  government  of  it,  that  led 
thofe  of  the  philofophers  who  fuppofed  that 
the  world  was  in  any  fenfe,  governed  by 
fuperior  Beings,  to  think  it  neceffary  to 
provide  a  great  number  of  them,  each  to 
fuperintend  his  particular  province.  They 
had  no  conception  of  the  fublime,  but  tru 
ly  rational  do&rine  of  the  fcriptures,  ac 
cording  to  which  one  intelligence,  one 
mind,  perfectly  comprehends,  and  directs, 
the  whole.  And  yet  the  uniformity  we 
obferve  in  the  works  of  nature  might  have 

fuggefled 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  197, 

fuggefted  the  idea  of  one  mind  having  ar 
ranged  and  dire&ed  the  whole,  immenfe 
as  that  whole  is.  But  the  amazing  variety, 
and  feeming  difcordancy,  of  many  parts 
of  the  fyftem  prevented  their  perceiving 
their  uniformity,  nor  could  Mofes,  or  any 
of  the  Hebrews,  have  been  able  to  difcover 
it  of  themfelves. 

6.  Mention  is  made  in  the  fcriptures 
of  angels,  as  created  beings,  fuperior  to 
man;  but  they  are  never  fuppofed  to  in 
terfere  in  the  affairs  of  men,  except  on 
particular  occafions,  and  by  the  exprefs 
appointment  of  the  Supreme  Being,  never 
by  their  own  voluntary  agency.  They 
are  employed  merely  as  meQengers  (for  fo 
their  name  in  the  Hebrew  fignifies)  to 
convey  the  orders  of  the  Almighty.  But 
according  to  the  fyftem  of  all  the  philofo- 
phers,  as  well  as  that  of  the  vulgar,  among 
the  heathens,  there  are  beings  inferior  to 
the  Supreme,  who  at  their  own  pleafure,  in 
terfere  in  the  affairs  of  men,  and  a&  ac 
cording  to  their  peculiar  humours  and 
paffions. 

Among 


r93  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

Among  the  Egyptians  the  idea  of  one 
fupreme  God  was,  from  the  earlieft  times, 
connected  with  the  belief  of  inferior  divi 
nities,  refiding  in  the  various  parts  of  na 
ture,  whence  arofe  the  worfhip  of  thofe 
parts  of  nature.  According  to  the  mytho 
logy  of  the  Greeks,  thofe  inferior  deities 
fprung  from  chaos.  Pythagoras  fuppofed 
the  region  of  the  air  to  be  peopled  with 
thefe  beings,  whom  he  calls  gods,  demons, 
and  heroes,  according  to  their  rank,  thefe 
laft  approaching  the  neareft  to  the  nature  of 
man,  '  Thefe/  he  faid,  '  at  their  pleafure, 
'  by  means  of  dreams  and  other  inftru- 
'  ments  of  divination,  communicate  to  men 
6  the  knowledge  of  future  events,  and  the 
'  good  demons  are  to  be  invoked  by  pray- 
*  er.*  Socrates  admitted  the  exiftence  of 
beings  '  poffeffed  of  a  middle  nature  be- 
'  tween  the  Supreme  Being  and  man;  and 
'  to  their  agency  he  afcribed  the  ordinary 
c  phenomena  of  nature,  and  the  particular 
f  conduct  of  human  affairs;  and  he  encou- 
c  raged  the  practice  of  divination,  under 
'  the  notion  that  the  gods  fometimes  dif- 
'  cover  future  events  to  good  men.' 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  199 

Plato  fuppofed  that  there  were   "  fub- 

*  ordinate  divinities  appointed  by  the   fu- 
'  preme  Being,   both  to  form  the   bodies 
'  of  animals,  and  to  fuperintend  the  affairs 
'  of  the  vifible    world.'       Xenocrates,    a 
difciple  of  Plato,  taught  that  <  the  heavens 
'  are  divine,  and  the  ftars    celeftial  gods, 
'  and  that   befides   thefe  divinities,    there 
'  are  terreftrial  demons,   of  a  middle  na- 

*  ture  between   God  and   man,  and  par- 
'  taking    both    of   mind    and    body,     like 
'  human  beings,   capable    of  paffion,    and 

*  liable  to  a  diverfity  of  charafter.' 

Ariftotle,  who  believed  in  no  particu 
lar  providence,  yet  fuppofed  that  there 
were  '  intelligent  natures  inferior  to  the 
'  firft  mover,  who  prefided  over  the  lower 
6  celeftial  fpheres.' 

Though  Democritus  rejected  the  doc 
trine  of  a  Supreme  Deity,  he  admitted 
the  popular  belief  of  divinities  inhabiting 
the  aerial  regions,  fay  ing  that  '*  they  made 
i  themfelves  vifible  to  favoured  mortals, 

*  and  enabled  them  to  foretel  future  events.' 
He  faid,  f  they  were  in  form  like  men,  but 

of 


2oo  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

*  of  a  larger  fize,  and  a  fuperior  nature; 
f  being  compofed  of  the  moft  fubtle  atoms, 

*  and  lefs  liable  to  diflblution  than  human 
'  beings,  but  nevfcrthelefs  mortal.'  Accord 
ing  to  the  Stoics;   '  portions  of  the  ethe- 

*  real  foul  of  the  world,  being  diftributed 

*  through  all  the  parts  of  the  univerfe,  and 
'  animating  all  bodies,  there  are  inferior 

*  gods  and  demons;  with  which  all  nature 
'  is  peopled.     They  conceived  them,  how- 
'  ever,  to  be  limited  in  their  duration,  re- 
'  turning  at  length  to  their  original,    and 
'  lofing  tlieir  feparate  exiftence.* 


DISCOURSE     VIIL 

The  Principles  of  the  Heathen  Philofophy 
compared  with  thofe  of  Revelation. 


PART      II. 


The  world  by  wifdom  knew  not  God. 

i  COR.  i.  21. 

JT1AVING   given  you  a  comparative 
view  of  the  religion  of  the  Hebrews,  and 
that   of  the  antient  idolatrous  nations,    I 
began,  in  my  laft  difcourfe,   to  give  you  a 
funilar  view  of  the  principles  of  the  heathen 
fhilofopfy,   that  it  might  not  be  faid  that  I 
took  an  unfair  advantage,   in  relating  no 
thing  more  than  the  opinions  and  practices 
of  the  vulgar  among  the  heathens,  inftead 
of  the  real  fentiments  of  the  wifeft  among 
them.      Thefe,    however,    I  Ihewed  you 
were,  in  feveral  refpecls,   far  lefs  rational 
than  thofe  of  the  fcriptures.     I  mentioned 

T  their 


2ca  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

their  univerfal  opinion  of  the  impoffibility 
of  creation  out  of  nothing,  of  the  eternity 
and  indeftruftibility,  of  matter  ;  its  necef- 
fary  evil  tendency ;  the  doctrines  of  many 
of  them,  of  the  production  of  all  inferior 
beings  by  emanation,  or  protrufion,  from 
the  fubftance  of  the  deity,  and  their  ab- 
forption  into  it  again ;  the  abfolute  denial 
of  the  being  of  a  God  by  many,  and  thofe 
fome  of  the  moft  eminent,  of  the  Greek 
philofophers  ;  their  various  and  unfatisfac- 
tory  opinions  concerning  the  origin  of  evil ; 
their  denial  of  a  divine  providence,  their 
belief  of  the  exiftence  of  intelligent  beings, 
inferior  to  the  fupreme,  who  at  their  plea- 
fure,  and  contrary  to  the  will  of  the  Su 
preme  Being,  interfered  in  the  direction  of 
human  affairs.  I  now  proceed  to  obferve, 
7.  If  the  heathen  philofophers  became 
fo  vain  in  their  imaginations,  when  they  fpe- 
culated  concerning  the  nature  of  God,  and 
the  origin  and  government  of  the  univerfe, 
and  were  not  able  to  retain  the  great  truths 
which  mankind  had  received  by  tradition 
relating  to  them,  much  more  did  they 

wander 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  203 

wander  in  uncertainty  and  error,  with  re- 
fpecl  to  the  doctrine  of  z  future  flat e,  con 
cerning  which,  as  I  have  obferved,  the 
light  of  nature  gives  us  no  information  at 
all.  On  this  fubjecl,  fo  important  that 
without  it  the  doclrine  concerning  God  and 
providence  is  merely  a  curious  fpeculation, 
of  no  practical  ufe,  the  principles  of  thofe 
philofophers  who  admitted  a  future  ft  ate 
are  totally  difcordant  with  thofe  of  the 
fcriptures,  which  alone  are  agreeable  to 
reafon,  though  not  difcoverable  by  it.  On 
this  fubjecT;,  I  muft  be  excufed  if  I  advance 
fome  things  which  will  not  be  approved  by 
the  generality  of  Chriftians,  who,  in  my 
opinion,  have  not  intirely  got  rid  of  doc 
trines  introduced  into  Chriftianity  from  a 
heathen  fource,  from  which  have  been 
derived  almoft  all  its  corruptions. 

According  to  the  fcriptures,  the  future 
ftate  of  man  depends  intirely  upon  a  rejur- 
reftion,  to  take  place  at  a  diftant  period, 
called  the  laft  day,  and  nothing  is  faid  con 
cerning  the  rewards  of  the  righteous,  or 
the  punifhment  of  the  wicked,  antecedent 

T  2  to 


104  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

to  that  time.  Our  Saviour  recommending 
acts  of  charity,  fays,  (Luke  xiv.  14)  Thou 
/halt  be  recompenfed  at  the  refurreftion  of  the  jujl, 
and  on  no  occafion  did  he  refer  his  hearers 
to  any  ftate  of  things  prior  to  this.  When 
he  fpeaks  of  being  caft  into  hell,  it  is  with 
hands  and  eyes,  which  are  members  of  the 
body ;  and  the  rich  man  in  the  parable  is 
reprefented  as  with  a  tongue,  tormented 
with  burning  thirft,  though  for  the  fake 
of  fome  circumftances  in  the  parable  the 
future  ftate  is  reprefented  as  taking  place 
before  the  proper  time. 

The  Apoftle  Paul,  comforting  the  Thef- 
falonians  on  the  death  of  fome  of  their 
friends,  refers  them  only  to  the  refurrec- 
tion,  and  gives  no  hint  of  their  enjoying 
any  degree  of  happinefs  at  the  time  that 
he  was  writing,  which  would  have  been 
unavoidable  if,  in  his  opinion,  they  bad 
been  happy  then,  i.  Theff.  iv.  13.  I  would 
not  have  you  be  ignorant,  brethren,  concerning 
them  that  are  a/kep,  that  ye  for  row  not  as  thofe 
who  have  no  hope.  For  if  we  believe  that  Jefus 
died  and  rofe  again,  even  fo  alfo  them  that 

Jlcep 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  20$ 

fleep  in  Jcfus  'will  God  bring  'with  him,  and  the 
dead  in  Chrijl  Jhall  rife  firft,  that  is,  before 
any  change  take  place  on  thofe  who  will 
be  then  alive.  Why,  indeed,  didheufe  the 
term  Jleep,  if,  in  his  idea,  the  dead  were  not 
in  a  ftate  of  infenfibility ,  and  not  to  be 
awaked  to  life  and  aftion,  but  at  the  re- 
furreclion? 

Again,  when  the  fame  apoflle  exhorts 
Chriftians  to  live  fober,  righteous,  and  godly 
lives,  Tit.  ii.  13.  he  directs  them  to  look  for 
that  blejjed  hope,  even  the  glorious  appearing  of 
the  grent  God,  and  our  Saviour  Jcfus  Chrift, 
when  he  ihall  come  again  to  raife  the  dead 
and  judge  the  world.  When  our  Saviour 
fays  that  he  will  receive  the  apoftles  to 
himfelf,  he  refers  them  to  the  fame  time, 
and  nothing  prior  to  it,  John  xiv.  3.  I  ivill 
come  again,  and  take  you  to  myfelf,  that  ivbere 
I  am  there  ye  may  be  alfo.  When,  therefore, 
the  apoftle  Paul  fpeaks  of  being  abfent  from 
the  body  and  prefent  ivith  the  Lord,  he  muft 
have  meant  the  fame  great  period,  over 
looking  all  that  pafled  between  the  time 
of  his  death  and  his  refurreclion,  which 

indeed 


fio6  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

indeed  will  only  appear  as  a  moment:  as 
in  the  cafe  of  a  man  awaking  from  a  pro 
found  fleep. 

When  Mofes  defcribes  the  formation 
of  man,  he  reprefents  him  as  made  whol 
ly,  and  not  in  part  only,  of  the  dujl  of  the 
ground,  and  fays  after  this,  God  put  breath 
and  life  into  him,  thereby  giving  motion 
to  the  curious  machine,  which  was  before 
a  lifelefs  mafs.  It  is  to  this  do&rine  of 
Mofes,  that  our  Saviour  refers,  when  he 
fays  that  God  is  able  to  deftroy  both  body  and 
foul,  or  the  power  of  life,  in  belL  For  the 
word  that  is  here  rendered  foul,  is  elfe- 
where  rendered  life,  meaning  that  men, 
by  killing  the  body,  which  God  has  been 
pleafed  to  put  in  their  power,  cannot  pre 
vent  its  returning  to  life,  this  being  in  the 
power  of  God  only.  There  is  not,  in 
reality,  any  more  reafon  to  fuppofe  life 
to  be  a  real  fubftance,  than  death  9  which 
we  iieverthelefs  perfonify,  when  we  fay 
that  death  comes,  and  furprifes  men,  and 
takes  them.  In  the  fcriptures,  both  death, 
and  Jin,  are  perfonified. 

The 


REVEALED    RELIGION".  207 

The  Gnoftics,  who  were  the  firft  of 
the  philofophers  who  embraced  Chriftiani- 
ty,  could  not  diveft  themfelves  of  their 
prejudices  with  refpeft  to  matter,  as  the 
fource  of  all  evil;  and  thinking  it  the  hap- 
pieft  ftate  of  the  foul,  to  be  entirely  de 
tached  from  it,  they  explained  away  the 
doclrine  of  the  refurreftion,  as  to  be  under* 
flood  of  fomething  that  took  place  during 
life.  To  them  the  apoftle  Paul  alludes, 
when  he  fays,  2  Tim.  ii.  18.  that  they  erred 
concerning  the  faith;  faying  that  the  refurreflipn 
ivas  paft  already,  and  overturned  the  faith  of 
feme.  Juftin  Martyr,  the  firft  Chriftian  wri 
ter  after  the  apoftolic  age,  whofe  works  are 
come  down  to  us,  enumerating  the  parti 
cular  tenets  of  the  Gnoftics,  who  were 
deemed  to  be  heretics,  and  not  allowed  to 
be  properly  Chriftians;  fays  of  them,  Dial, 
p.  2.  '  They  alfo  fay  that  there  is  no  're- 
c  furreclion  of  the  dead,  but  that  immedi- 
'  ately  after  death,  fouls  are  received  into 
*  heaven.  Do  not  take  thefe  to  be  Chrif? 
<  tians.' 

This 


THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

This  language  of  this  antient  and  ve 
nerable  writer,  is  not  a  little  remarkable. 

• 

Think  not,  however,  that  I  approve  of 
his  harfh  cenfure  of  the  Gnoftics.  Others 
will  fay  that  they  who  reject  the  doctrine 
of  a  foul,  are  not  Chriftians.  Both  are 
equally  reprehenfible.  The  Gnoftics  as 
well  as  Juftin,  believed  the  divine  miffion 
of  Jefus,  and  a  life  of  retribution  after 
death,  and  many  of  them  were  martyrs 
as  well  as  himfelf.  The  doctrine  of  a  fu^ 
ture  life,  is  the  moft  important  article  of 
Chriftian  faith.  The  time,  the  place,  or 
the  manner,  in  which  it  will  be  effected, 
are  all  comparatively  of  little  moment. 

Though  after  this  Chriftians  in  general 
adopted  the  doctrine  of  a  foul  diftinct  from 
the  body,  they  thought  that,  after  death,  it 
remained  in  a  place  under  ground,  called 
Hades,  where  it  waited  for  the  refurrection 
of  the  body,  when,  and  not  before,  it  would 
be  admitted  to  the  immediate  prefence  of 
God  and  of  Chrift,  in  heaven.  This  con 
tinued  to  be  the  faith  of  the  Chriftian 
world,  for  about  a  thoufand  years.  They 

pretty 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  209 

pretty  foon,  however,  made  an  exception 
in  favour  of  the  fouls  of  the  martyrs,  which 
they  thought  went  directly  to  heaven. 

There  are  thought  to  be  fome  traces  of 
the  doctrine  of  a  refurrection  in  the  heathen 
world,  as  among  the  Chaldeans  and  Za- 
bians.  But  if  this  was  the  cafe,  the  doc 
trine  was  foon  obliterated,  and  fpeculative 
perfons,  thinking  a  proper  refurreflion  to  be 
abfolutely  impoffible,  and  yet  unwilling  to 
give  up  all  hope  of  fomefatureftate,  ima 
gined  that  there  was  fome  fpiritual,  or 
ethereal,  principle  in  man,  which  having 
exifted  long  before  his  birth,  would  fubfift 
after  his  death.  For  with  the  heathens 
thefe  two  doctrines  always  went  together ; 
and  Origen,  one  of  the  moft  learned  of 
the  early  Chriftians,  believed  both  the 
pre-exiftence  of  the  foul,  and  its  feparate 
exiftence  after  death.  Afterwards  Chrif 
tians  in  general  abandoned  the  former,  but 
retained  the  latter,  though  originally  they 
were  both  derived  from  the  fame  fource. 

But  what  evidence  is  there,  from  any 
appearances  in  nature,  which  is  all  that 

the 


aro  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

the  heathens  had  to  look  to,  on  which  their 
belief  either  of  the  pre-exiftence,  or  the 
feparate  exiftence  of  the  foul  is  founded. 
The  former  will  be  allowed  to  have  been 
wholly  chimerical.  But  with  refpect  to 
the  latter,  is  it  not  evident  that  the  power 
of  thinking  depends  upon  the  brain  ;  and 
if  thought  is  fufpended  in  the  ftate  of  found 
Jleep,  and  during  a  fwoon,  muft  it  not  be 
more  effectually  fufpended  in  a  ftate  of 
death? 

It  will  be  faid  that  we  cannot  conceive 
of  any  connection  between  the  properties 
of  perception  or  thought,  and  the  idea 
of  matter.  But  we  know  nothing  at  all 
of  the  connection  of  any  properties  with 
thofe  of  any  fubftance  whatever.  Who 
can  explain  the  connection  between  the 
magnet  and  the  property  of  attracting 
iron,  or  the  caufe  of  the  gravitation  of  all 
material  fubftances  towards  each  other  ? 
And  what  clearer  ideas  have  we  of  the  con 
nection  between  the  power  of  perception 
and  thought  with  an  immaterial  fubftance 
any  more  than  with  a  material  one*  Let 

us 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  211 

us  then  no  longer  cover  our  ignorance,  or 
our  fancied  knowledge,  with  the  repeti 
tion  of  mere  words,  to  which  we  have  no 
ideas,  but  confine  ourfelves  to  known  fattiy 
fuch  as  the  ftricT:  connection  between  the 
powers  of  thought  and  the  organization  of 
the  brain.  When  that  is  deftroyed,  fenfa- 
tion  and  thought  ceafe  ;  fo  that  there  can 
not  be  any  rational  ground  to  expecl  the 
reftoration  of  the  one  without  the  reftora- 
tion  of  the  other.  And  certainly  the 
great  Being  who  made  man  of  the  duft  of 
the  ground,  can  make  him  again,  though 
reduced  to  the  fame  duft.  As  to  the 
manner  in  which  this  is  to  be  effected,  we 
know  as  much  of  the  one  as  of  the  other ; 
which  is  juft  nothing  at  all.  But  as  the 
one  has  been  eifecled  by  the  fame  Being 
who  has  promifed  the  other,  we  have  no 
reafon  to  entertain  any  doubt  of  its  ac- 
complifhment  at  the  time  appointed. 

The  only  rational  hope  of  a  future 
life  muft,  therefore,  be  founded  on  the 
fcripture  do&rine  of  a  referreffiw,  when 
the  whole  man,  with  all  his  powers,  will 

be 


H2  THE    .EVIDENCES    OF 

be  revived.  That  this  doctrine  of  a  re- 
fiirreclion  is  inconfiftent  with  that  of  a 
foul,  which  furvives  the  body,  and  retains 
all  its  faculties,  not  only  unimpaired,  but 
improved,  (for  fuch  is  the  original  and 
proper  doclrine  on  the  fubjecl)  is  obvious 
to  the  fligheft  confederation.  For  if  fuch 
be  the  condition  of  the  foul,  when  freed 
from  the  clog  and  obftruclion  of  the  body, 
a  refurrecljon  would  not  only  be  unnecef- 
fary,  but  even  undefirable.  The  two  fyf- 
tems  are,  therefore,  repugnant  to  each 
other,  and  cannot  be  rationally  held  to 
gether. 

The  doclrine  of  a  foul,  and  confe- 
quently  that  of  an  intermediate  ftate  be 
tween  death  and  the  refurrection,  has 
been  the  foundation  of  the  worfhip  of 
dead  men  and  women,  called  faints,  of 
the  doclrine  of  purgatory,  and  many 
other  doclrines  of  popery.  Thefe,  and 
almoft  every  other  corruption  of  genuine 
chriftianity,  came  from  the  fame  heathen 
fource,  as  I  have  fhewn  at  large  in  my 
Kijlory  of  the  Corruptions  ofCbriftianity. 

The 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  213 

The  imagination  of  man  being  let  loofe 
in  fpeculations  on  the  origin  and  nature  of 
fouls,  and  their  exiftence  after  death,  we 
do  not  wonder  at  the  wildeft  and  moft  ex 
travagant  hypothefes  on  fo  obfcure  a  fub- 
ject.  The  general  opinion  of  the  philofo- 
pliers  was,  that  all  fouls,  having  been 
portions  of  the  divine  eflence,  or  of  the 
great  foul  of  the  world,  and  having  con 
tracted  various  impurities  in  their  ftate  of 
feparatiori  from  their  fource,  muft  paf$ 
through  a  courfe  of  purgation,  by  going 
through  various  animal  bodies,  before  they 
could  be  reunited  to  the  fountain  from 
which  they  fprung,  and  to  which  they  al 
ways  tend. 

The  Egyptians,  according  to  Herodo 
tus,  believed  that  when  the  body  was 
decayed,  the  foul  pafled  into  that  of  fome 
other  animal,  which  was  juft  then  born, 
and  that  after  it  had  made  the  circuit  of 
beafts,  birds,  and  fifties,  through  a  period 
of  three  thoufand  years,,  it  again  became 
an  inhabitant  of  a  human  body.  They, 
therefore,  endeavoured  to  delay  this  tranf- 

migration, 


214  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

migration,  by  embalming  the  body,  and 
thereby  preferving  it  uncorrupted,  and  in 
a  ftate  fit  for  the  refidence  of  the  foul,  as 
long  as  poffible. 

Pythagoras,  who  borrowed  his  doc 
trines  from  the  Eaft,  carried  this  of  tranf- 
migration  into  Greece.  He  alfo  held  that 
of  the  final  return  of  all  fouls  into  the 
eternal  fource  from  which  they  fprung. 
It  does  not,  however,  appear  that  the  doc 
trine  of  tranfmigration,  though  ftill  held  in 
the  Eaft,  remained  long  in  Greece;  but 
the  doctrine  of  pre-exiftence,  ever  accompa 
nied  that  of  a  foul,  and  on  this  principle, 
the  Grecian  philofophers  believed  its  natu 
ral  independence  on  the  body,  and  its  con 
tinued  exiftence  after  its  feparation  from 
it  by  death.  Socrates  held  this  doctrine, 
but  either  with'  fome  degree  of  doubt,  or 
having  no  high  opinion  of  the  happinefs 
of  a  future  ftate**  Plato  reprefents  him 

as 


*  The  heathens  in  general,  at  leaft  the  Greeks,  do  not 
appear  to  have  had  any  high  idea  of  the  happinefs  of  the 
beft  of  men  after  death.  For  Horrer  makes  Achilles  fay  to 

UlyfTes, 


REVEALED     RELIGION.  215 

as  faying  to  his  friends,  who  attended 
him  at  his  trial,  '  whether  it  is  better  to 
'  live  or  die,  was  known  only  to  the  gods." 
Plato,  though  a  difciple  of  Socrates, 
combined  his  doctrines  with  thofe  of  other 
philofophers,  and  had  foiiie  peculiar  ideas 
on  this  fubject.  Thefe,  on  account  of  his 
great  celebrity,  I  muft  not  omit  to  men 
tion,  if  it  were  only  to  fliew  what  very 
abfurd  and  extravagant  notions  the  great- 
eft  of  men  have  adopted  when  destitute  of 
the  light  of  revelation.  He  fuppofecl  that 
'  there  exifts  fomething  between  God,  and 

*  the  matter  of  which  the  world  was  fonn- 

*  ed,    which  he  calls  ideas,  exifling  in  the 

*  divine  mind;   and  as  external  objects  are 

*  perceived  by  the  fenjes,  thefe  can  only  be 
4  perceived  by  the  intelleff.9   Senfible  things, 
he   faid,     *  being  in   a  ftate   of  continual 
'  fluctuation,     cannot     be    the    object     of 

*  fdence,  but  thefe  ideas,  being  permanent, 
f  may,    and  by  the  contemplation  of  them, 

Ulyfles,  when  he  found  him  in  the  Elyfian  fields,  '  I  had 
'  rather  be  a  poor  man,  and  ferve  another  poor  man,  who 
'  had  himfeif  a  bare  fofficiency  of  food,  on  earth,  than  rule 
'  over  all  the  dead.' 

<  he 


216  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

*  he  fuppofed  that  men  might  attain  to  a 

*  kind  of  union  with  God,  in  whofe  mind 
'  thofe  ideas  exift.      He  alfo  fuppofed  thajt 

*  there  is   a  third  fubftance,    compofed    of 
'  fpirit  and  matter,   diffufed  through   the 

*  univerfe,     and   the     animating    foul  •  of 
'  the  world ;    that  the  fouls  of  men  are 

*  not  derived  immediately  from  God,  but 

*  from  this  foul  of  the  world,  which  from 
4  its  origin  was  debafed  by  a  mixture  of 

*  material  principle.     He   faid  that  when 
4  God  formed  the  univerfe,   he   feparated 
<  from  the  foul  of  the  world,  a  number  of 

*  inferior  fouls,   equal  in   number  to    the 

*  ftars,  and  aifigned  to  each  .its  proper  ce- 
4  leftial  abode;  but  that  thefe  fouls   (from 

*  what  reafon  does  not  appear)   were  fent 
'  down  to   the  earth,   as  into  a  fepulchre, 

*  or  prifon,    and  that  it  is  only  by  difen- 

*  gaging  itfelf  from  animal  paffions,   and 

*  rifing  above  fenfible  objects,  to  the  con- 

*  templation  of  the  world  of  intelligence,' 
(the    ideas   above    mentioned)    '  that   the 

*  foul  of  man  can  be  prepared  to  return 

*  to  its  deftined  habitation/ 

He 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  217- 

He  moreover  held  that  '  the  foul  con- 
4  fifts  of  three  parts,  the  firft  the  feat  of 
'.  intelligence,  the  fecond  of  the  paflions, 
and  the  third  of  appetite,  and  he  affigned 
to  each  its  proper  place  in  the  human  body. 

The  Stoics  thought  very  differently 
from  each  other  concerning  the  duration 
of  fouls.  '  Some  of  them  were  of  opinion 

*  that  they  would  all  remain  till  the  general 
6  conflagration ;    fome  that  only  thofe  of 
'  the    wife    and    good  would   continue  fo 
'  long;  fome  thought  that  all  fouls,  on  be- 
'  ing  releafed  from  their  bodies,   would  be 

*  immediately  abforbed  in  the  foul  of  the 

*  world ;  fome  that  fouls  being  of  the  na- 
'  ture   of  fire,    would  be   extinguifhed   at 

<  death ;   oihers  that  the  foul  was  fo  con- 

*  fined  in  the  grofs  body,   that  it  could  not 

*  find  a  palfage  out  even  at    death,    but 

<  muft  remain  till  it  was  intirely  deftroyed. 
'  Some  of  the  Stoics  thought  that,  in  the 

<  univerfal  reftoration  of  nature,   each  in- 

<  dividual  would  return  to  its  former  body, 

<  but  others  thought  that  then  only  fimilar 

*  fouls  would  be  placed  in  fimilar  bodies. 

u  Uncertainty 


2i8  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

Uncertainty  cannot  be  more  ftrongly  in 
dicated  than  in  this  diverfity  of  opinion. 

It  does  not  appear  whether  Ariftotle 
thought  the  human  foul  to  be  mortal  or 
immortal;  but  the  former  is  the  more  pro 
bable,  from  his  opinion  concerning  the 
nature  and  origin  of  it.  For  he  fays  '  it 
*  is  an  intellectual  power,  externally  tranf- 
(  mitted  into  the  human  body,  from  the 
'  common  fource  of  rationality  to  human 
6  beings.'  He  does  not  fay  what  he  con 
ceived  this  univerfal  principle  to  be  ;  but 
there  is  no  proof  that  he  fuppofed  this 
principle  continued  with  any  individual 
after  death. 

If  we  may  colleft  the  fentiments  of 
Ariftotle  from  thofe  of  his  followers,  we 
may  certainly  conclude  that  he  did  not 
expedl  that  men  would  in  any  fenfe,  fur- 
vive  death.  Dicaearchus,  an  Ariftotelian, 
held  that  '  there  was  no  fuch  thing  as  mind, 
'  or  foul,  in  man  or  beaft,  that  the  principle 
'  by  which  animals  perceive  is  equally  dif- 
'  fufed  through  the  body,  and  infeparable 
<  from  it.'  Alexander  Aphrodifoeus,  an 
other 


THE     EVIDENCES    OF  219 

other  follower  of  Ariftotle,  faid  that  c  the 
'  foul  was  not  a  diftinct  fubftance  itfelf,  but 
'  the  form  of  an  organized  body/  mean 
ing  probably,  that  it  was  a  property  that 
was  the  refult  of  organization.  Theo- 
phraftus,  an  Ariftotelian,  at  the  clofe  of 
life,  exprefled  great  regret  at  the  ihort- 
nefs  of  it,  and  complained  that  '  nature 
'  had  given  long  life  to  flags  and  crows, 
'  to  whom  it  is  of  little  value,  and  had 
'  denied  it  to  man,  who,  in  a  longer  du- 

*  ration,   might  have  been    able  to  attain 

*  the  fummit  of  fcience,  but  now,   as  foon 
'  as  he  arrives  within  fight  of  it,   he  is  ta- 
6  ken  away.'      His  laft  advice  to  his  difci- 
ples  was  that,    '  fince  it  is  the  lot   of  man 
<  to  die,   as  foon  as  he  begins  to  live,   they 
6  fhould  take  more  pains  to  enjoy  life,  than 
'  to    acquire   pofthumous   fame.'      Indeed 
the  natural  inference  from  this  do&rine  is, 
as  the  Apoftle  exprefles  it,  Let  us  eat  and 
drink,  for  to  morrow  ive  die. 

The  great  father  of  modern  unbelievers 
among  Mahometans  and  Chriftians,  was 
Averroes,  a  Saracen,  devoted  to  the  phi- 

u  2  lofophy 


22o  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

lofophy  of  Ariftotle,  whole  writings  made 
all  the  unbelievers  in  the  age  of  Petrarch, 
and  that  of  Pope  Leo  X.  He  held  <  the 
4  eternity  of  the  world,  and  the  exiftence 
*  of  one  univerfal  intellect,  the  fource  of 
'  all  human  intelligence,  into  which  every 
'  feparate  intelligence  will  finally  be  re- 
'  folved,  and  eonfequently  he  denied  the 
'  diftinft  exiftence,  and  proper  immortality 
'  of  the  human  foul.'  I  need  not  fay  how 
irrational  this  notion,  fo  long  prevalent 
with  thofe  who  ridiculed  the  fcriptures,  is. 
Modern  unbelievers  will  fmile  at  the  ex 
treme  abfurdity  of  it,  as  much  as  any 
Chriftians,  and  fo  they  will  at  all  the  fyf- 
tems  of  their  predeceflbrs,  the  heathen 
philofophers  ;  though  in  a  general  way, 
with  a  view  to  difparage  the  writers  of 
the  fcriptures,  they,  but  with  little 
real  knowledge  of  them,  occafionally  cry 
them  up. 

I  hardly  need  to  mention  any  more  of 
thefe  vague  opinions,  altogether  deftitute  of 
proof,  or  probability.  But  I  (hall  obferve 
that  Democritus  faid  that  <  men  were  firft 

'  produced 


REVEALED    RELIGION  221 

'  produced  from  water  and  earth,  and 
'  that  the  foul,  or  the  principle  of  animal 
<  life  and  motion,  is  the  refult  of  a  com- 
'  bination  of  round  and  fiery  particles,  and 
*  is  mortal,  and  periihes  with  the  body.' 
And  Epicurus  faid,  '  the  foul  is  a  fubtte 
6  corporeal  fabftance,  compofed  of  the 
'  fineft  atoms.' 

The  principles  of  found  reafoning  and 
true  philofophy,  have  fufficiently  exploded 
all  thefe  crude  fyftems,  the  beft  of  which 
never  produced  fuch  a  perfuafion  concern 
ing  a  future  ftate  as  men  could  act  upon, 
and  fuffer  and  die  for ;  whereas  the  faith 
of  Jews,  and  Chriftians,  has  unqueftion- 
ably  produced,  and  does  ftill  produce, 
thefe  fubftantial  fruits.  And  if  the  great 
end  of  theory,  as  it  undoubtedly  is,  be 
p-adicc,  a  doctrine  which  is  both  rational 
in  itfelf,  and  fupported  by  fufficient  autho 
rity,  muft  be  infinitely  preferable  to  fuch 
wild  and  incoherent  fyftems  as  tliofe  of 
the  antient  philofophers,  the  knowledge 
of  which,  moreover,  never  extended  be 
yond  their  own  difciples,  and  which  does 

not 


222  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

not  appear  to  have  had  any  real  influence 
even  upon  them. 

But  the  great  queftion  before  us  at 
prefent  is  this  ;  if  Mofes,  and  the  other 
writers  of  the  Old  and  New  Teftament, 
are  to  be  clafled  with  philofophers  or  legifla- 
tors,  how  came  they  to  frame  a  fyftem  fo 
fundamentally  different  from  any  that  other 
philofophers  and  legiilators  of  the  fame 
age  had  conceived  ?  And  if  they  were 
not,  but  are  to  be  confidered  as  perfons 
who  had  no  advantage  of  learning  or  edu- 
cution,  and  therefore  to  be  claffed  among 
the  vulgar,  and  the  vulgar  of  a  rude  and 
barbarous  nation,  as  the  Jews  are  gene 
rally  confidered,  how  came  they  to  dif- 
cover  fo  much  true  knowledge,  and  adopt 
a  fyftem  of  religion,  laws,  and  morals, 
which  cannot  be  denied  to  be  free  from 
the  crude  conceptions,  and  grofs  abfurdi- 
ties,  with  which  the  fyfterns  of  the 
boafted  philofophers  of  the  heathen  world 
are  chargeable  ?  The  only  anfwer  is, 
that  what  they  wrote  was  from  a  fource 
of  wifdom  not  their  own,  or  any  that  they 

could 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  223 

could  have  borrowed  from  the  neighbouring 
nations,  but  one  much  fuperior ;  and  as 
they  profefs,  from  God.  But  what  are  we 
to  think  of  thofe,  who  with  the  facts  that  I 
have  recited  before  them,  whether  they 
will  attend  to  them  or  not,  are  continu 
ally  exclaiming  againft  the  religion  of  the 
Bible,  without  fparing  any  term  of  re 
proach,  and  praifing  the  fuperior  attain 
ments,  and  philofophy,  of  the  Greeks 
and  Romans.  Happily,  however,  there  are 
facts  enow  before  us,  and  abundantly  af- 
certained,  by  which  impartial  perfons  may 
eaflly  form  a  true  judgment  concerning 
both;  and  I  hope  there  is  yet  in  the  world 
common  fenfe,  and  candour  too,  fufficient 
to  make  a  juft  comparifon  between  them. 
8.  In  a  former  difcourfe  I  fliewed  you 
to  what  horrid  and  abominable  practices 
the  popular  religions  among  the  heathens 
led.  But  thefe,  it  may  be  faid,  were  pe 
culiar  to  the  vulgar,  and  that  the  pbilofophcrs 
would  not  fail  to  condemn  thofe  practices. 
This,  however,  was  far  from  being  the 
cafe.  Many  of  the  philofophers,  no  doubt, 

knew 


224  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

knew  better,  and  among  themfelves  de- 
fpifed  and  ridiculed  the  popular  fuperfti- 
tions,  at  leaft  fome  of  them;  but  they  had 
not  the  juft  courage  in  the  caufe  of  truth 
and  virtue,  to  run  any  rifque  in  oppofing 
fo  deftrucTive  a  torrent.  They  themfelves 
conformed  to  all  the  fuperflitious  practices 
of  thofe  times,  and  recommended  the  fame 
to  others.  Xenophon  began  his  account 
of  his  beloved  mafter  Socrates,  with  fay 
ing,  that  '  he  wondered  how  he  came  to 

*  be  charged  with  not  believing  in  the  gods 
'  of  his  country,   when  he  not  only  joined 
<  in  the  public   facrifices,    but  frequently 

*  facrificed  in  private,  and  openly  praclifed 
f  divination,   which  was  always  deemed  a 
'  part  of  religion/      Socrates  himfelf  faid, 
'  that  it  is  the  duty  of  every  perfon,   to 
'  follow  the  cufloms  of  his  country,  in  all 

*  its  religious  rites/    In  fuch  veneration  did 
feveral  of  the  philofophers  hold  the  laws  of 
their  country,   that  they  maintained  there 
was  no   other  rule   of  right   and   wrong. 
This  doftrine  was  avowed  by  Democritus 
and  Ariftippus.      I  need  not  obferve  how 

abfurd 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  225 

abfurd  this  maxim  was.  Were  the  laws 
themfelves  framed  by  no  rules  of  natural 
right  or  wrong?  and  how  are  we,  on  this 
principle,  to  make  an  eftimate  of  the 
comparative  excellence  of  different  fyftems 
of  law  ? 

So  far  were  the  antient  philofophers 
from  entertaining  the  liberal  fentiments 
which  it  is  now  the  fafhion  to  afcribe  to 
them,  that,  in  a  period  of  three  hundred 
years,  during  which  the  Chriftians  were 
perfecuted,  as  oppofers  of  the  vulgar  fu- 
perftition,  there  is  no  example  of  any 
philofopher  pleading  for  the  toleration  of 
them.  On  the  contrary,  they  were  often 
the  foremoft  to  promote  the  perfecution. 
The  celebrated  emperor  Marcus  Aurelius, 
who  was  himfelf  an  eminent  philofopher, 
was  one  of  the  moft  unrelenting  perfecu- 
tors  of  Chriftians. 

o.  As  feveral  of  the  philofophers  were 
aware  that  fome  of  their  tenets  would  have 
given  offence  to  the  vulgar,  either  from  the 
nature  of  them,  or  from  their  being  liable 
to  be  mifunderftood,  they  had  dotfrines, 

which 


226    *  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

which  they  communicated  only  to  a  few, 
and  this  under  a  ftrict  injunction  of  fecrecy. 
This  practice  was  adopted  by  Pythagoras 
from  the  Egyptian  prielts.  He  moreover 
enjoined  upon  his  pupils  a  filence  of  two, 
and  fometimes  of  five,  years.  In  this  ftate 
of  probation  they  were  not  permitted  even 
to  fee  their  mafter,  or  to  hear  him,  except 
from  behind  a  curtain,  and  when  they 
were  admitted  to  his  prefence,  and  favour 
ed  with  his  fecret  doctrines,  they  bound 
themfelves  by  an  oath  not  to  divulge  them. 
Something  of  this  nature  was  adopted  by 
Plato.  He  faid,  '  it  is  a  difficult  thing  to 
'  difcover  the  nature  of  the  creator  of  the 

*  univerfe,   and  being  difcovered,    it  is  im- 
'  poffible,  and  would  be  impious,  to  expofe 
'  the   dilcovery  to  vulgar  underftandings. 
'  He  therefore   threw  a   veil  of  obfcurity 

*  over  his  public  inftructions,   which   was 
'  only  removed   for    the  benefit  of  thofe 
'  who   were  thought  worthy  to  be  admit- 

*  ted  to  his  more  private  and  confidential 
<  leftures.' 

But 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  227 

But  how  much  more  noble  was  the 
conducl  of  Mofes,  and  of  our  Saviour,  who 
made  no  fecret  of  any  thing  that  they 
taught?  How  much  dignity  was  there  in  the 
charge  that  Jefus  gave  to  his  apoftles,  to 
publifh  every  thing  that  they  knew  of  his 
doftrines,  Mat.  x.  27.  What  I  tell  you  in 
darknefs,  that  Jpeak  ye  in  the  light,  and  'what 
ye  hear  in  the  ear,  that  preacb  ye  upon  the 
houfe  tops. 

10.  In  general,  no  doubt,  the  heathen 
philofophers  had  juft  ideas  concerning  mo 
ral  virtues,  and  in  their  writings  they  ex- 
prefs  themfelves  with  truth  and  energy  on, 
the  fubjecl ;  but  in  fever al  refpecls  their 
peculiar  tenets  mifled  them,  and  were  un 
favourable  to  a  right  difpofition  of  mind, 
and  a  proper  conduct  in  life.  This  could 
not  but  be  the  cafe  with  the  Stoics,  the 
moft  rigidly  moral  of  all  the  antient  feels. 
Their  opinion  that  all  fouls  are  portions 
of  the  divinity,  from  which  they  inferred 
that  they  were  fufficient  for  their  own 
happinefs,  infpired  them  with  a  great  de 
gree  of  pride.  For  they  faid,  '  it  was 

'  not 


S28  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

<  not  tn  the  power  of  the  gods  to  make  a 
*  good  man  unhappy.'  They  main 
tained  that  pain  was  no  evil,  and  that 
a  wife  man  may  be  happy  even  in 
the  midft  of  torture.  They  alfo  held 
that  he  ought  to  be  free  from  every  emo 
tion  of  affe&ion  or  paffion.  Nature  would 
never  fuffer  any  man  to  reduce  this  abfurd 
fyftem  to  praftice;  l^ut  the  attempt  to  do 
it  muft  have  had  an  unfavourable  influence 
on  a  man's  temper  and  conduct.  Whether 
confidently  with  their  principles,  or  not, 
many  of  the  more  eminent  of  the  Stoics 
put  an  end  to  their  own  lives.  This  was 
done  by  Zeno  himfelf,  the  founder  of  the 
feel,  when,  in  a  very  advanced  age,  he  was 
in  much  pain  from  breaking  his  finger. 

ii.  It  is  common  with  unbelievers  to 
decry  both  Chriftianity  and  Judaifm,  as 
fpecies  of  fuperftition.  But  no  mifconcep- 
tions  or  abufe,  of  the  Jewifh  or  Chriftian 
religions,  led  to  more  abfurd  fuperftitions 
than  the  dodrines  of  the  heathen  philofo- 
phers,  concerning  the  defiling  nature  of 
matter,  their  confequent  contempt  for  the 

body 


REVEALED    RELIGION. 

body,  and  their  ideas  of  the  purification 
of  the  foul  by  the  mortification  of  it,  It 
was,  in  fact,  from  the  heathen  philofo- 
phers  that  the  Chriftians  of  the  fecond  and 
following  centuries  derived  their  opinions 
and  practices  on  the  fubject.  It  was  from 
them  alfo  that  the  monkifh  ideas  of  the  fu- 
perior  merit  of  a  contemplative  to  an  affive 
life,  and  of  the  value  of  feclufion  from  the 
world,  were  originally  derived. 

Pythagoras  laid  that  '  contemplative 
(  wifdom  cannot  be  completely  attained 
'  without  a  total  abftraction  from  the  or- 
'  dinary  affairs  of  life,  and  a  perfect  tran- 
'  quility  and  freedom  of  mind.'  But  the 
later  Platonifts,  among  whom  we  might 
expect  the  moft  advanced  and  improved 
ftate  of  philofophy,  carried  thefe  ideas 
ftill  farther.  <  They  practifed  the  moft 

*  rigorous    abftinence,    as   by   this    means 

*  they  expected  to  purify  themfelves  from 
'  moral  defilement,   and  they  parted  whole 

*  days    and   nights  in    contemplation,   and 
<  what    they    called    devotion.       Plotinus 

*  had  fuch  a  contempt  for  the  body,   that 

<  he 


230  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

*  he   never  could  be    prevailed   upon    to 
'  make  ufe   of  any  means  to  cure  the  dif- 

*  eafes  to  which  his  conftitution  was  fiib- 
(  jecl,  or  to  alleviate  his  pain.      His  rigo- 
'  rous  abftinence,   and  determined  neglecl 
'  of  his  health,   at  lafl  brought  him  into  a 
'  ftate  of  difeafe  and  infirmity,   which  ren- 
'  dered  the  latter  part  of  his  life  extremely 
'  painful.'       In  Chriftians    this    would  be 
laughed  at,  but  in  this  deep  philofopher,  it 
may  perhaps  be  admired. 

To  this  fuperftition  thefe  philofophers 
joined  the  moft  extravagant  enthufiafm. 
They  fuppofed,  that  '  the  foul  of  man, 
'  prepared  by  previous  difcipline,  might 
6  rife  to  a  capacity  of  holding  immediate 

*  intercourfe  with  good  demons,   and  even 
<  to  enjoy  in  ecftafy  an  intuitive  vifion  of 

*  God  himfelf/   a  degree  of  perfection  and 
felicity  which  fome  of  the  more  eminent 
among  them,   fuch  as  Plotinus,  Porphyry, 
Jamblicus,     and    Proclus,    were    fuppofed 
aftually  to  have  attained.      Plotinus  is  faid 

*  to  have  afc ended  through  all  the  Platonic 
6  fteps  of  contemplation,  to  the  aftual  vi- 

'  fion 


REVEALED  RELIGION.  331 

*  fion  of  the  Supreme  Being  himfelf,   and 
'  to   have    been   admitted   to    fuch    inter- 
'  courfe  with  him  as  no  other  philofopher 

5  ever  enjoyed."      Porphyry  fays  that  he 
'  himfelf,   in   the  fixty-eighth  year  of  his 
'  age,   was  in  a  facred   ecftafy,  when  he 

6  faw  the  fupreme   intellignece,  the  god,' 
he  fays,  '  who  is  fuperior  to  all  gods,  with- 
'  out  an  image.5 

According  to  Jamblicus,    '  the  human 
'  foul  has   an  innate   knowledge  of  God, 

*  prior  to  all  reafoning,   in  confequence  of 
'  its  having  originally  derived  its  eflence 
'  from,  and  having  fubfifted  in,  the  divine 
'  nature  ;   that  by  the  intervention  of  de- 
'  mons,    it    enjoys    communication    with 
'  the    fuperior    divinities,    and  with  God 
'  himfelf.      Gods,    demons,    and  heroes/ 
he  fays,    '  appear   to   men  under  various 
'  forms,  in  dreams,  or  waking  vifions,    to 
'  render  them  bodily  or  fpiritual  fervices, 
'  and    to    enable    them  to   predift  future 
'  events.     But  thefe  communications  with 

*  the  divine  nature  are  not  to  be  obtained 
'  without  the  obfervance  of  certain  facred 

rites, 


s3s  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

*  rites.      The  figns  of  divine  communica- 
'•  dons,'  he  fays,  '  are  a  temporary  fufpen- 

*  fion  of  the  fenfes  and  faculties,  the  inter- 
'  ruption    of  the    ordinary    functions    of 
'  life,  and  a  capacity  of  fpeaking  and  do- 
'  ing  wonders,  fo  that  in  this  ftate  t;he  per- 
c  fon  does  not  live  an  animal,  or  human, 
c  but  a  divine  life.' 

Jews  and  Chriftians  are  reproached  for 
their  credulity,  for  their  faith  in  miracles, 
however  well  attefted;  but  can  they  fay 
that  thefe  Platonifts  were  lefs  credulous  ? 
c  With  a  view  to  deftroy  the  credit  which 
'  the  Chriftian  religion  derived  from  mira- 

*  cles,   or  at  leaft  to  advance  their  philofo- 

<  phy  to  a  level  with  it,   they  pretended  to 
'  a  power  of  performing  fupernatural  ope- 
'  rations,   by  the  aid    of  invisible  beings, 

<  and    faid    that    the   miracles  of  Chrift/ 
which  they  did  not  deny,    '  were  wrought 

*  by  the  fame  magical,  or  as  they  termed 

*  them,  tbeurgic  powers,  which  they  them- 

*  felves  poflefled.       The  emperor  Julian, 
'  made  great  ufe  of  magical  arts  in  exe- 
c  cuting  his  political  purpofes.     While  he 

*  reported 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  233 

*  was  at  Vienna,  he  reported  that  in  the 
'  middle    of   the  night,  he  was  vifited  by 

*  a  celeftial  form,  which,  ipeaking  in  heroic 

*  verfe,    had  promifed   him  the  pofleffion 
'  of  the  imperial     dignity. 

With  thefe  facls  before  us,  and  many 
more  of  the  fame  kind  might  have  been 
adduced,  furely  Chriftiaoity  will  no  longer 
be  exclufively  taxed  with  fuperftition, 
enthufiafm,  or  credulity.  But  no  coun*- 
tenance  is  given  to  thefe  idle  notions,  or 
abfurd  practices,  in  the  fcriptures.  Chrift 
and  the  apoftles  were  not  mojiks,  nor  had 
they  any  monkifh  ideas.  Their  piety  was 
perfectly  rational,  and  their  love  of  God 
evidenced  by  benevolence  to  man.  And 
they  inculcated  no  aufterity,  or  morti 
fication,  befides  that  temperance,  which  is 
oppofed  to  vicious  excefs,  and  contributes 
to  the  true  enjoyment  of  life. 

On  the  whole,  we  may  furely  fay  that, 
had  modern  unbelievers  found  in  the  fcrip 
tures  any  of  the  dodrines  which  I  have 
fhewn  to  have  been  profefled  by  the  philo- 
fophers  of  antiquity,  had  they  found  there 

x  the 


334  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

the  doctrine  of  two  coeternal  principles, 
that  of  the  emanation  of  all  fouls  from 
the  fubftance  of  the  fupreme  Being,  the 
abforption  of  them  into  it  again,  with 
their  repeated  emiilions  and  retractions  to 
all  eternity ;  had  they  found  there  the 
doclrine  of  the  formation  of  all  things  by 
the  fortuitous  concourfe  of  atoms,  that  the 
air  is  filled  with  demons  of  different  cha- 
r afters,  directing  the  affairs  of  the  world 
at  their  pleafure,  and  giving  intimations  of 
future  events  by  omens  and  divination; 
had  they  found  in  the  fcriptures  the  doc 
trine  of  the  pre-exiftence  of  all  human 
fouls,  their  lapfe  into  grofs  bodies,  where 
they  are  confined,  and  alfo  contaminated 
by  their  connection  with  fo  debating  a  com 
panion,  the  purification  of  thefe  embodied 
fouls  by  aufterity  and  mortification,  their 
tranfmigration  through  the  bodies  of  ani 
mals,  by  way  of  preparation  for  their  af- 
cent  to  the  empyreal  regions;  had  they 
there  found  the  doctrine  of  one  common 
principle  of  intelligence,  or  foul  of  the 
univerfe,  in  all  men  and  animals,  without 

giving 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  335 

giving  to  each  a  permanent  exiftence,  had 
all  or  any  of  thefe  doctrines  been  found  in 
the  fcriptures,  would  they  not  have  ex 
claimed  againft  fuch  crude  notions,  and 
wild  conceptions,  and  have  rejected  the 
fyftem  without  farther  examination?  It 
was,  in  fact,  the  finding  no  fuch  opinions 
as  thefe  in  the  fcriptures,  that  firft  led 
Chriftian  philofophers,  (after  having  adopt 
ed  feveral  of  them  from  a  heathen  fource, 
and  having  long  endeavoured  to  hold  them 
in  conjunction  with  their  chriftian  princi 
ples)  that  led  them  to  fufpect  their  truth; 
and  farther  reflection  on  the  fubject 
led  many  to  explode  them  altogether. 
Thus  is  the  world  indebted  to  Chriftianity 
for  the  detection  of  errors  which  were 
the  difgrace  of  human  reafon,  though  pa 
tronized  by  the  moft  eminent  philofophers 
of  the  heathen  world;  yet  modern  un 
believers,  though  lying,  with  the  reft  of 
the  world,  under  fo  great  obligations  to 
chriftianity,  are  now  bufily  aflaulting  it 
with  every  weapon  of  reafon  or  ridicule. 
Its  friends,  however,  are  under  no  appre- 
x  2  henfions 


236  THE     EVIDENCES    OF 

henfions  about  it.  This  very  ftate  of  things 
was  forefeen,  and  foretold,  by  its  founder. 
Revealed  religion  is  fo  far  from  fhrinking 
from,  that  it  invites,  the  ftrifteft  examina 
tion.  Its  friends  being  thofe  of  reafon  and 
truth,  engage  in  its  vindication  only  as 
fupported  by  reafon  and  truth,  and  as  fa 
vourable  to  the  beft  interefts  of  mankind. 


DISCOURSE     IX. 

The  evidence  of  the  Mofaic  and  Chriftiau 
Religions. 


PART     I. 


God,  who,  at  fundry  times,  and  in  divers  manners,  fpake 
in  time  paft  unto  the  fathers,  by  the  prophets,  hath,  in 
thefe  laft  days,  fpoken  unto  us  by  his  fon. 

HEB.  i.  i«2. 

IN  the  preceding  Difcourfes  I  have 
endeavoured  to  prepare  the  way  for  the 
proper  evidence  of  revealed  religion,  by 
explaining  the  nature,  and  fhewing  the  im 
portance,  of  the  fubject,  and  by  exhibiting 
a  comparative  view  of  the  heathen  reli 
gions,  and  that  of  the  Hebrews,  which  is 
that  branch  of  revealed  religion  which  is 
mod  objected  to  by  unbelievers.  The 
fyftems  of  the  heathen  religions,  efpecially 

thofe 


£38  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

thofe  of  remote  ages,  coeval  with  the 
Mofaic  inftitutions,  you  have  feen  to  have 
been  not  only  a  confufed  mafs  of  mifer- 
able  fuperftition,  arifing  from  a  total  igno 
rance  of  the  laws  of  nature,  but  to  have 
confifted  in  rites  Jhocking  to  humanity, 
good  morals,  and  common  decency,  and 
that  they  were,  in  a  great  meafure,  the 
caufe  of  the  horrid  depravity  of  manners 
which  prevailed  in  the  Gentile  world.  On 
the  contrary,  the  tenets  of  the  religion  of 
the  Hebrews,  which  has  been  fo  much  de 
cried  by  Voltaire  and  others,  were,  in  the 
higheft  degree,  rational,  worthy  of  the 
Supreme  Being,  leading  to  the  greateft 
purity  of  heart  and  life,  and  peculiarly 
calculated  to  counteract  the  effects  of  the 
abfurd  and  mifchievous  religions  of  the 
neighbouring  nations.  Being,  therefore, 
fo  much  fuperior  to,  and  reverfe  of,  all 
the  forms  of  religions,  with  which  Mofes 
or  any  of  his  countrymen,  could  have  been 
acquainted,  and  even  fuperior,  as  I  have 
fhewn,  to  the  principles  advanced  by  the 
moft  celebrated  of  the  heathen  philofo- 

phers, 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  239 

phers,  there  is  the  greateft  antecedent  pro 
bability  that  it  came  from  God,  the  foun 
tain  of  wifdom;  who   thought  proper  to 
make  choice  of  one  nation,   in  which  to 
preferve  the  true  knowledge  and  worfhip 
of  himfelf,   amidft  the   general   defection 
from  it,    and  by  that  means  to  diffufe,   in 
due  time,    the  moft   falutary  light  to   all 
his  offspring  of  mankind.      And  it  has  al 
ready,   in  a   great  meafure,    effected    this 
benevolent  purpofe,  in  the  gradual  unfold 
ing  of  the  plan,     in  the  Chriftian  revela 
tion,   which  has   a  conftant  reference    to 
that  of  Mofes;  fo  that  they  are  to  be  con- 
fidered  as  parts  of  the  fame  fcheme;  the 
proper  evidence  of  which  I  fhall  now  pro 
ceed    to  lay    before     you.      In  order    to 
do  this  as  briefly  as   poffible,    I  fhall  not 
confider  the  evidence  of  each  feparately, 
but  jointly;   efpecially  as  I  have  done  the 
former,  and  more  in  detail,  in  another  fet 
of  difcourfes,     which  are    already  before 
the  Public. 

I  fhall  begin  with   obferving  that  the 
only  proper  evidence  of  the  interpofition 

of 


THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

of  God,  as  the  author  of  nature,  is  an  ex 
hibition  of  fome  thing  which  he  alone  is 
capable  of  performing,  that  is,  a  proper 
miracle,  or  a  controlling  of  the  order  of  na 
ture,  which  it  muft  be  allowed  that  no 
other  than  he  who  eftabliihed  it,  and  who 
conftantly  maintains  it,  can  do.  The  me 
dium  of  divine  communications  may  be 
men,  and  where  the  inftruclion  and  refor 
mation  of  men  is  the  object,  it  is  moft  na 
turally  and  properly  fo ;  but  the  power  by 
which  it  is  effected,  muft  appear  to  be  of 
God.  Otherwife,  there  would  be  no  rea- 
fon  to  fuppofe  that  there  was  any  thing 
fuperhuman  in  the  fcheme. 

It  has,  indeed,  been  the  opinion  of  fome, 
that  proper  miracles  may  be  wrought  by 
beings  fuperior  to  man,  though  inferior  to 
the  Supreme  God,  and  even  for  purpofes  op- 
pofite  to  any  that  could  be  his,  tending  to 
miflead  and  injure  mankind.  But  this  is 
an  opinion  which  I  am  perfuaded  will  not 
be  ferioufly  maintained  by  any  perfon  at 
this  day.  It  cannot,  with  any  appearance 

of 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  241 

of  reafon,  be  fuppofed,  that  the  Supreme 
Being  would  put  it  in  the  power  of  any 
malevolent  demon  (fuppofing  fuch  beings 
to  exift)  thus  to  deceive  his  creatures,  and 
without  referving  to  himfelf  the  power  of 
undeceiving  them.  For  if  fuch  beings  as 
thefe  were  permitted  to  work  real  mira 
cles,  or  perform  fuch  works  as  men  were 
unable  to  diftinguifh  from  real  miracles,  it 
was  all  that  himfelf  could  do;  fo  that  the 
mifchief  would  be  without  remedy. 

We  muft,  therefore,  take  it  for  granted, 
and  I  doubt  not,  it  will  be  univerfally  allow 
ed,  that  if  there  be  a  real  departure  from  the 
order  or  laws  of  nature  (which  in  the 
greater  inftances  there  is  no  danger  of 
miftaking)  it  muft  be  by  the  interpofition 
of  a  power  properly  divine,  and  for  a  pur- 
pofe  worthy  of  divinity,  of  the  great  and 
good  parent  of  the  human  race ;  for  in- 
ftance,  to  give  them  feafonable  affiftance 
in  the  difcovery  of  interefting  truth,  and 
removing  the  caufes  of  error,  vice,  and 
mifery,  which  muft  otherwife  have  re 
mained  without  remedy. 

Miracles,. 


242  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

Miracles,  then,  being  allowed  to  be 
the  only,  but  a  fufficient,  evidence  of  di 
vine  interpofition,  it  will  be  afked,  what 
is  the  evidence  of  their  having  been 
wrought,  to  thofe  who  are  not  them- 
felves  witnefles  of  them?  For  it  is  not 
pretended  that  miracles  are  exhibited  be 
fore  all  perfons,  but  only  occafionally. 
I  anfvver,  the  teftimony  of  thofe  who  'were 
properly  witnefles  of  them,  but  teftimony 
fo  circumftanced,  that  the  fuppofition  of 
its  being  falfe  would  be  more  improbable 
on  the  whole  than  that  of  its  being  true; 
fo  that  its  being  falfe  lhall,  by  a  fair  efti- 
mate,  appear  to  be  a  greater  miracle,  or 
a  greater  deviation  from  the  ufual  courfe 
of  nature,  than  what  is  related  as  fuch. 
And  certainly  fuch  cafes  may  be  fuppof- 
ed. 

If,  for  inftance,  a  great  number  of 
perfons,  univerfally  allowed  to  have  the 
ufe  of  their  fenfes  and  underftanding,  fe- 
rioufly  declare  that  they  actually  faw,  or 
heard,  any  thing  whatever,  though  a  priori 
ever  fo  improbable,  and  their  veracity  be 

not 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  243 

not  queftioned,  their  fenfes  muft  have 
been  under  a  miraculous  illufion,  if  the 
thing  be  not  as  they  reprefent  it.  It  will 
alfo  be  allowed,  from  the  opinion  general 
ly  entertained  of  human  nature,  that  cir- 
cumftances  may  be  fuppofed,  in  which  a 
great  number  of  perfons  agreeing  to  tell 
a  falfehood,  when  they  could  not  have  any 
motive  to  do  it,  would  be  deemed  nothing 
lefs  than  miraculous. 

It  is  readily  acknowledged,  that  mira 
cles  not  being  events  of  daily  or  frequent 
occurrence,  require  more  definite  evidence 
than  ordinary  facls,  and  this  in  proportion 
to  their  antecedent  improbability,  arifing 
from  their  want  of  analogy  to  events  that 
are  common.  But  there  is  no  facl:  that 
is  poffible  in  itfelf,  but  the  evidence  may  be 
fuch  as  to  make  it  credible.  The  circum- 
ftances  which  tend  to  give  credit  to  human 
teftimony  with  refpeft  to  miracles,  are  the 
following.  The  witnefles  muft  be  in  fuf- 
ficient  number.  They  muft  be  in  circum- 
ftances  in  which  they  cannot  be  deceived 
themfelves,  and  they  muft  have  no  appa 
rent 


•244  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

rent  motive  to  deceive  others.  In  order 
to  this,  the  miracles  muft  be  in  fufficient 
number,  and  exhibited  fo  long,  as  to  af 
ford  opportunity  for  examining  them. 
They  muft  alfo  be  upon  a  large  fcale,  or 
of  fuch  a  nature  as  to  exclude  all  idea  of 
trick  or  impofition.  They  muft  be  exhi 
bited  before  perfons  who  had  no  previous 
difpofition  to  expeft  or  to  receive  them. 
A  fufficient  degree  of  attention  muft  be 
excited  to  them  at  the  time,  and  a  num 
ber  of  perfons  muft  be  interefted  in  afcer- 
taining  their  reality.  The  hiftory  of 
them  muft  be  coeval  with  the  events,  and 
the  belief  of  them  muft  produce  a  lading 
effecl. 

If  all  thefe  circumftances  fhould  be 
found  to  concur  in  the  miracles  recorded 
in  the  fcriptures,  it  muft  be  allowed  that 
they  have  all  the  credibility  that  facts  fo 
extraordinary,  and  of  fo  great  antiquity 
can  have,  and  nothing  more  can  be  requir 
ed  in  the  cafe.  The  moft  fceptical  of 
men  cannot  demand  more  fatisfactory  evi 
dence.  I  faall  therefore  now  proceed  to 

confider 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  245 

confider  how  far  thefe  circumttances  apply 
to  the  miracles  of  which  an  account  is  con 
tained  in  the  Old  and  New  Teftament. 
For  it  is  the  truth  of  the  fyftem  of  reli 
gion  propofed  to  us  in  thefe  books  that  is 
to  be  proved  by  them. 

I  muft,  however,  remind  you,  that 
though  I  would  by  no  means  crave  your 
indulgence  in  being  fatisfied  with  a  fmall 
degree  of  evidence,  or  lefs  than  fuch  as  I 
have  defcribed,  the  thing  to  be  proved  is 
far  from  being  improbable  a  priori,  fo  as  to 
make  fuch  extraordinary  evidence  necef- 
fary.  If  men,  who  are  the  offspring  of 
God,  were  involved  in  error,  vice,  and 
mifery,  from  which  it  was  not  in  their 
power  to  refcue  themfelves,  it  might  even 
have  been  expelled  that  their  benevolent 
parent  would  provide  fome  effectual  means 
for  their  relief.  And  the  fcheme  of  re 
velation,  which  gives  men  the  fulleft  infor 
mation  concerning  the  being,  the  perfections 
and  the  providence  of  God,  concerning 
man's  duty  here,  and  a  future  ftate  of 
retribution  hereafter,  the  knowledge  of 

which 


246  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

which  we  have  feen  the  wifeft  of  men 
never  attained  of  themfelves,  is  excellent 
ly  adapted  to  anfwer  this  end,  and  there 
fore  it  is  not  only  defirable,  but  far  from 
being  improbable.  On  the  contrary,  I  have 
ftiewn  at  large  that  the  plan  of  revelation 
is,  in  a  variety  of  refpefts,  the  moft  natural 
and  the  moft  effectual,  and  confequently 
the  moft  eligible,  mode  of  communicating 
religious  inftruftion  to  men. 

In  this,  however,  I  fpeak  to  the  feelings 
of  the  virtuous,  the  worthy,  and  the 
thinking  part  of  mankind,  thofe  whofe 
char  afters  and  conduct  are  fuch  as  will  na 
turally  lead  them  to  wilh  for,  and  rejoice 
in,  the  difcovery  of  fuch  momentous 
truths,  and  not  the  profligate  and  thought- 
lefs,  who  are  governed  by  mere  appetite 
and  paffion,  like  the  brutes,  who,  looking 
no  farther  than  to  mere  animal  enjoyments, 
never  think  of  a  God,  of  a  providence, 
or  a  future  ftate  at  all ;  and  who,  if  it 
depended  upon  them,  would  not  chufe  that 
there  fhould  be  any  fuch  thing. 


In 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  247 

It  is  well  known  that  there  are  ftates 
of  mind  in  which  no  attention  will  be 
given  to  any  thing  that  is  offenfive  to  it. 
A  philofopher  of  great  eminence,  having 
advanced  an  opinion  concerning  fomething 
that  might  be  determined  by  a  microfco- 
pical  obfervation,  refufed  to  look  through 
a  microfcope  that  was  brought  to  him, 
with  the  objeft  ready  prepared,  when  he 
was  told  that  the  infpection  would  refute  his 
hypothefis.  And  certainly  vicious  propenfi- 
ties  lay  a  ftronger  bias  on  the  mind  than 
any  fpeculative  opinions  whatever. 

In  minds  exceedingly  debafed,  there 
muft  be  an  almoft  invincible  bias  againfl 
the  doftrines  of  revelation  ;  and  probably 
the  evidence  even  of  their  own  fenfes 
would  not  be  fufficient  to  convince  them. 
To  fuch  perfons  as  thefe,  I  do  not  ad- 
drefs  myfelf  at  all,  becaufe  it  would  be 
altogether  in  vain.  Indeed  I  can  hardly 
fuppofe  that  any  motive,  even  that  of  cu- 
riofity,  would  bring  any  perfon  of  this 
character  to  hear  me  on  the  fubject,  and 

therefore 


243  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

therefore  I  will  not  fuppofe  any  fuch  to 
be  prefent. 

v  I .  To  thofe  perfons  whofe  minds  are 
not  abfolutely  fhut  againft  -conviction,  I 
would  obferve,  in  the  firft  place,  that  the 
miracles  recorded  in  the  fcriptures,  and 
on  which  the  truth  of  the  Mofaic  and 
Chriftian  inftitutions  refts,  are  fufficiently 
numerous.  Faffing  over  all  that  preceded 
the  age  of  Mofes  himfelf,  the  miracles 
which  effected  the  emancipation  of  the 
Ifraelites  from  their  bondage  in  Egypt, 
and  their  fettlement  in  the  land  of  Canaan, 
will  certainly  be  allowed  not  to  have 
been  deficient  with  relpeft  to  number, 
whatever  elfe  be  objected  to  them.  They 
began  with  the  miraculous  appearance  of 
fire,  in  a  bufli  which  was  not  confumed 
by  it,  the  withering  and  reftoring  of  Mofes' 
arm,  and  the  changing  his  rod  into  a  fer- 
pent,  and  that  ferpent  into  a  rod  as  at  firft. 
Then  follow  the  ten  great  plagues  of 
Egypt,  beginning  with  the  changing  of 
the  waters  of  the  river  into  blood,  and 

ending 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  249 

ending  with  the  death  of  all  the  firft  born 
of  the  Egyptians  in  one  night,  according 
to  the  prediction  of  Mofes.  We  then  pro 
ceed  to  the  paflage  of  the  red  fea,  wl  ile 
the  waters  rofe  on  each  fide  to  admit  of 
it ;  the  fweetning  of  the  waters  of  Mara, 
the  delivery  of  the  ten  commandments  in 
an  articulate  voice  from  mount  Sinai,  the 
fupplying  of  the  whole  nation  with  man 
na,  and  the  conducting  of  them  with  the 
appearance  of  a  pillar  of  cloud  by  day, 
and  of  fire  by  night  during  forty  years, 
the  drawing  water  from  a  rock,  enough 
to  fupply  the  whole  nation,  at  two  differ 
ent  times,  the  death  of  Korah,  Dathan, 
and  Abiram  by  the  opening  of  the  earth 
at  the  word  of  Mofes,  the  death  of  Na- 
dab  and  Alihu,  the  two  fons  of  Aaron,  by 
fire  from  heaven,  the  paflage  of  the  river 
Jordan,  by  the  dividing  of  its  waters,  the 
fall  of  the  walls  of  Jericho,  and  fome 
others  of  lefs  confequence,  all  in  the  com- 
pafs  of  one  generation. 

In  the  fubfequent  hiftory  of  the  Ifrael- 
ites,  miracles  were  not  fo  numerous^    but 

Y  it 


z$o  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

it  is  probable  that  no  long  period  of  it  was 
intirely  without  them,  till  they  were  difcon- 
tinued  after  the  Babylonifh  captivity.  But 
in  this  interval  the  Hebrew  prophets  foretold 
in  the  plained  language  many  future  events 
which  came  to  pafs  in  their  own  times,  or 
very  near  to  them,  and  among  thefe  the  fate 
of  all  the  neighbouring  nations,  as  well  as 
of  their  own,  to  the  lateft  period  of  time. 
Jeremiah  foretold  not  only  the  Babylonifti 
captivity,  but  the  exaft  duration  of  it. 
In  the  time  of  Daniel  we  have  the  deliver 
ance  of  Shadrach,  Mefhach  and  Abednego 
from  the  fiery  furnace,  of  Daniel  himfelf 
in  the  den  of  lions,  and  his  foretelling  the 
infanity  (for  fuch  it  muft  have  been)  of 
Nebuchadnezar,  and  his  reftoration  after 
feven  years,  as  well  as  his  prophecies  con 
cerning  the  rife  and  fall  of  the  four  great 
monarchies,  which  have  been  wonderfully 
verified,  though  part  of  them  yet  remain 
to  be  fulfilled. 

After  this  we  have  an  interval  of  about 
four  hundred  years,  in  which  we  find  no 
pretenfions  to  miracles,  or  prophecy.  But 
during  the  public  miniftry  of  Jefus,  mira~ 

cies 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  251 

cles  were  more  numerous  than  they  had 
ever  been  before.  His  divine  miffion  was 
announced  three  times  by  articulate  voices 
from  heaven,  he  cured  the  difeafes,  how 
ever  obftinate,  of  all  who  applied  to  him, 
and  fome  when  he  was  at  a  diftance,  and 
he  raifed  at  leaft  three  perfons  from  a  ftate 
of  death.  He  twice  fed  feveral  thoufand 
perfons  with  a  fmall  quantity  of  provifions, 
he  alfo  changed  a  large  quantity  of  water 
into  wine.  He  {tilled  a  tempeft  at  a  word, 
he  walked  on  the  fea,  and  caufed  a  fig 
tree  to  wither  by  only  fpeaking,  he  fore 
told  the  deftruclion  of  Jerufalem,  and  the 
temple,  and  the  defolation  of  the  country, 
to  come  to  pafs,  in  that  generation;  he 
rofe  from  the  dead  after  being  publicly 
crucified,  and  vifibly  afcended  to  heaven. 

Miracles  not  lefs  confiderable  than  thefe 
diftinguifhed  the  miniftry  of  the  apoftles, 
who  fucceeded  Jefus.  They  not  only  ex- 
prefled  themfelves  in  languages  which  they 
had  never  learned,  but  imparted  this  pow 
er  to  all  the  converts;  they  healed  many 
fick  perfons,  they  even  raifed  the  dead, 
Y  2  and 


s,$z  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

and  foretold  fever al  future  events,  which 
came  to  pafs  in  their  own  time.  If  any 
perfon  will  fay  that  thefe  miracles  (and 
many  are  omitted  in  this  general  view) 
are  not  fufficiently  numerous  for  the  pur- 
pofe  for  which  they  were  wrought,  he 
would  fay  that  no  number  whatever  would 
be  fufficient,  and  therefore  his  objection 
would  not  be  to  the  number ',  as  fuch,  but 
muft  be  of  fome  different  kind,  which  will 
be  confidered  under  fome  of  the  following 
heads. 

2.  Many  of  the  miracles  recorded  in 
the  fcriptures,  were  on  fo  large  a  fcale,  or 
on  other  accounts  of  fuch  a  nature,  that 
there  could  be  no  fufpicion  of  trick  or  de 
ception,  with  refpect  to  them*  If  the  ap 
pearances  only  exifted  (and  with  relpecl  to 
them,  the  fenfes  of  men  could  not  be  de 
ceived)  the  caufe  was  indifputable.  And 
fuch  were  almoft  all  the  miracles  exhibited 
in  Egypt,  as  the  changing  of  all  the  water 
of  fuch  a  river  as  the  Nile,  as  large  as  any 
in  this  country,  into  blood,  or  any  thing 
like  blood,  fo  that  no  ufe  could  be  made 

of 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  253 

of  it;  and  this  not  momentarily,  but  for  a 
confiderable  time,  and  yet  an  evil  of  this 
magnitude  was  removed  at  the  prayer  of 
Mofes.  Perfons  fkilled  in  tricks  of  flight 
of  hand,  which  was,  no  doubt,  the  cafe  of 
the  magicians  of  Egypt,  might  impofe  upon 
a  company,  even  of  intelligent  and  quick 
fighted  perfons,  not  ufed  to  them,  and  on 
Mofes  himfelf,  with  a  fmall  quantity  of  wa 
ter,  contained  in  a  bafon,  or  they  might 
dexteroufly  fubftitute  a  ferpent  in  the  place 
of  a  rod,  or  a  rod  in  the  place  of  a  ferpent, 
but  the  miracles  exhibited  by  Mofes,  con 
vinced  even  the  magicians  themfelves,  that 
what  he  did  was  by  the  finger  of  God,  as 
they  exprefied  themfelves. 

The  plague  of  frogs,  that  of  the  lice, 
(as  our  tranflation  renders  the  word,)  of  the 
murrain  among  the  cattle,  of  the  boils,  of 
the  hail,  of  thelocufts,  and  of  thedarknefs, 
might  each  of  them  feparately,  have  been 
produced  by  natural  caufes.  But  that  they 
mould  all  be  announced  before  hand,  that 
none  of  them  fhould  affect  the  diftricl:  oc 
cupied  by  the  Ifraelites,  which  adjoined  to 

the 


254  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

the  reft  of  Egypt,  and  that  they  Ihould  all 
be  removed  at  the  prayer  of  Mofes,  are 
undeniable  evidences  that  the  hand  of  God 
was  in  them.  Still  more  was  this  evident  in 
the  death  of  the  firft-born,  and  of  the  firft- 
born  only,  of  man  and  of  beaft,  through  all 
the  country,  while  not  one  of  the  Ifraelites 
died.  By  this  difplay  of  divine  power,  Pha 
raoh  and  all  the  Egyptians  were  fo  terrified 
and  fubdued,  that,  unwilling  as  they  before 
had  been,  to  part  with  fuch  ufeful  fervants, 
they  wer?,  now  defirous  of  getting  rid  of 
them,  at  any  rate. 

Upon  a  greater  fcale  ftill,  was  the  paflage 
of  the  whole  nation  of  Ifraelites,  though 
not  fewer  than  two  millions  of  people, 
marching  at  their  leifure,  with  all  their  cattle 
and  baggage,  through  an  arm  of  the  red  fea, 
while  the  water  rofe  on  each  fide  of  them, 
and  all  the  Egyptians  who  had  ventured  to 
follow  them  were  drowned.  There  could 
be  no  impofition  on  the  fenfes  in  fuch  a 
fcene  as  this,  or  in  the  fimilar  miracle  of 
the  paffage  of  the  river  Jordan,  in  the  fame 
manner.  The  fame  may  be  faid  of  other 

miraculous 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  25$ 

miraculous  appearances  in  the  time  of  Mo 
fes,  efpecially  that  of  the  delivery  of  the 
ten  commandments  in  an  articulate  voice, 
heard  by  all  the  Ifraelites,  then,  as  I  ob- 
ferved,  more  than  two  millions  of  people, 
from  mount  Sinai,  in  a  river,  (for  it 
could  not  be  lefs)  ifming  from  a  rock,  at 
the  word  of  Mofes ;  for  the  blow  of  his 
ftaff  could  not  have  had  any  fuch  effect, 
and  the  defcent  of  the  inanna  every  morn 
ing,  with  the  remarkable  and  conftant  ex 
ception  of  one  particular  day  in  the  feven, 
on  which  no  manna  fell,  for  the  fpace  of 
forty  years,  and  the  pillar  of  a  cloud  by  day 
and  of  fire  by  night,  which  alfo  attended 
them  the  fame  time,  and  directed  all  their 
marches.  He  muft  have  been  a  bold  im- 
poftor,  indeed,  who  fhould  have  attempted 
any  thing  of  this  kind,  and  not  fo  reluctant 
and  fo  timid  a  leader  as  Mofes  evidently 
was. 

Among  the  miracles  which  were  on  fo 
large  a  fcale  as  to  exclude  all  idea  of  de 
ception,  I  may  mention  the  falling  down 
of  the  walls  of  Jericho,  on  the  ark  being 

carried 


2$6  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

carried  round  the  place  feven  times,  the 
falling  down  of  the  idol  Dagon,  in  the 
preience  of  the  ark,  the  calamities  which 
befel  the  cities  of  the  Philiftines,  to  which 
it  was  fent,  and  the  circumftances  of  its 
conveyance  back  into  the  land  of  Canaan, 
viz.  in  a  carriage  drawn  by  cows  whofe 
calves  were  kept  at  home. 

Of  the  miracles  that  come  under  this 
clafs,   was  the  ftrength  imparted  to  Samp- 
fon,   by  which  he  was  able   to  take  down 
the  gates  of   a  city,  and  carry  them  to  the 
top  of  a  hill,   and  after  lofing  his  ftrength, 
his  recovering  it  again,   fo  as  to  pull  down 
the  building  in  which  were  aflembled   all 
the  lords  of  the  Philiftines,  when  they  were 
all  killed.      Such   alfo  was  the  burning  of 
the  facrifice  of  Elijah,  on  mount  Carmel, 
while  the  priefts  of  Baal    attempted   the 
fame  in  vain,  he  being  alone,  and  they  four 
hundred  men,  favoured  by  an  idolatrous 
king,  who   was   himfelf   prefent,   and  the 
people  in  general  alfo  favouring  them.      I 
might  add,   under  this  head,   feveral  other 
miracles  recorded  in  the  Old  Teftament, 

and 


REVEALED  RELIGION.  a 57 

and  muft  not  omit  to  mention  in  this  view 
alfo,  the  cafe  of  Shadrach,  Mefhach,  and 
Abednego,  who  were  preferved  unhurt  in 
the  fiery  furnace  at  Babylon,  and  alfo  the 
delivery  of  Daniel  from  the  lions,  in  the 
fame  city. 

The  miracles  recorded  in  the  New 
Teftament  are  not,  in  general,  on  fo  large 
a  fcale  as  many  of  thofe  recited  in  the  Old, 
but  they  are  fufficiently  fo  to  be  out  of  the 
reach  of  any  charge  of  trick  and  impofi- 
tion.  Such  were  the  cures  performed  by 
Jefus,  of  fuch  difeafes  as,  though  fome- 
times  curable  by  medical  treatment,  always 
require  a  long  time;  whereas  his  cures  were 
always  inftantaneous,  and  yet  complete. 
Such  were  his  cures  of  blindnefs,  efpecially 
of  the  man  who  was  born  blind,  of  fevers, 
which  are  never  cured  but  by  coming  to  a 
certain  crifis,  of  leprofy,  of  the  dropfy ; 
and  efpecially  of  infanity,  called  the  cafting 
out  of  demons,  the  fuppofed  caufe  of  that 
diforder.  Of  this  clafs,  more  efpecially, 
was  his  raifing  to  life,  the  daughter  of 
Jairus,  at  Capernaum,  the  widow's  fon  at 

Nain, 


2  $8  .  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

Nam,  and  of  Lazarus  at  Bethany.  Of 
miracles  of  this  clafs,  were  his  feeding 
firft  five  thoufand,  and  afterwards  four 
thoufand  perfons,  with  a  few  loaves  and 
fifties,  his  ftilling  a  tempeft,  his  walking  on 
the  fea,  and  a  ftormy  fea,  and  laftly  his 
refurreftion  and  afcenfion. 

In  the  hiftory  of  the  apoftles,  the 
miracles  of  this  clafs  are  thofe  called 
//'<?  gift  of  Tongues,  by  which  thoufands  of 
perfons  were  enabled  to  exprefs  them- 
felves  in  languages  which  they  had  not 
learned,  the  cure  of  the  beggar  who  was 
known  to  have  been  lame  from  his  birth, 
at  the  gate  of  the  temple,  the  deli 
verance  of  Peter  and  John,  and  after 
wards  of  Peter  only,  out  of  prifon,  when 
every  precaution  had  been  taken  to  fecure 
them,  and  alfo  the  cure  of  many  difeafes 
by  Peter  and  others,  fimilar  to  the  cures 
performed  by  Jefus.  Several  other  mira 
cles  might  be  mentioned  under  this  head, 
but  thefe  are  abundantly  fufficient  for  the 
purpofe,  that  is,  they  were  appearances 
with  refpect  to  which  there  could  not  have 

been 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  259 

been  any  deception.  Perfons  who  were 
prefent,  could  never  have  been  under  any 
miftake  with  refpect  to  the  fads,  and  the 
facts  were  of  fuch  a  nature,  that  they 
muft  neceflarily  have  been  miraculous, 
how  ignorant  foever  We  may  be  of  the 
powers,  or  laws,  of  nature  in  other  re- 
fpefts. 

3.  Many  of  the  miracles  recorded  in  the 
fcriptures,  and  almoft  all  thofe  that  are 
mentioned  under  the  preceding  head,  were 
performed  in  the  prefence  of  a  great  num 
ber  of  perfons.  At  the  miracles  perform 
ed  by  Mofes,  all  the  inhabitants  of  Egypt, 
and  the  whole  nation  of  Ifraelites,  were 
prefent.  All  the  latter  muft  have  feen 
every  thing  that  pafled  in  the  wildernefs. 
The  whole  nation  pafled  through  the  river 
Jordan,  and  faw  the  falling  of  the  walls 
of  Jericho.  The  whole  nation  of  the  Phi- 
liftines  could  not  but  know  of  the  triumph 
of  the  ark  of  God  over  their  idol  Dagon, 
and  the  manner  in  which  it  was  conveyed 
back  to  the  land  of  Canaan.  Ahab  and 
his  court,  and  no  doubt  thoufands  of  the 

common 


s6o  THE     EVIDENCES    OF 

common  people,  were  prefent  at  Elijah's 
facrifice.  Nebuchadnezzar,  and  all  the 
people  of  Babylon,  muft  have  known  of 
the  deliverance  of  Shadrach,  Mefhach,  and 
Abednego,  and  fo  muft  Darius,  and  all 
people  in  his  time,'  the  deliverance  of  Da 
niel  from  the  lions. 

With  refpeft  to  the  miracles  of  Jefus, 
it  is  evident  from  the  nature  of  them,  and 
from  his  manner  of  life,  that  they  could 
not  but  have  been  known  to  the  whole  na 
tion  of  the  Jews.  Peter,  fpeaking  of  them 
to  a  promifcuous  multitude  who  were  af- 
fembled  in  Jerufalern  on  the  report  of  the 
wonderful  gift  of  tongues,  expreffed  himfelf 
in  the  following  remarkable  manner,  Afts 
ii.  22,  Te  men  of  Ifrael,  fwar  my  words, 
*Jefus  of  Nazareth,  a  man  approved  of  God 
among  you,  by  miracles  and  wonders  and  Jlgns, 
which  God  did  by  him,  in  the  mid  ft  of  you, 
as  ye  yourfelves  alfo  know.  Again,  addreffing 
himfelf  to  Cornelius,  a  Roman  centurion, 
and  his  friends,  he  fays,  concerning  Jefus, 
and  the  gofpel,  Afts,  x.  36.  The  word 
which  God  foil  unto  the  children  of  Ifrael, 

that 


REVEALED    RELIGION  261 


That  'word  ye  know,  which  was  publij 
throughout  all  Judea.  He  evidently  did  not 
think  it  neceflary  to  produce  witneffes  of 
particular  fafts.  He  took  it  for  granted 
that  they  were  known  to  every  body, 
how  God  anointed  Jefus  of  Nazareth  with  the 
holy  Jpirit,  and  with  power,  who  went  about 
doing  good,  and  healing  all  that  were  opprejjed 
of  the  devil,  for  God  was  with  him  ;  and  we 
are  witnejjes  of  all  things  which  he  did,  both  in 
the  land  of  the  Jews,  and  in  Jerufakm. 

Alfo,  when  Paul  was  addrelling  king 
Agrippa,  in  the  prefence  of  Feftus,  and 
the  court,  he  fays,  A6ls  xxvi.  20,  None 
of  thefe  things  are  hidden  from  him ;  for  this 
thing  was  not  done  in  a  corner.  To  the  re- 
furreftion  and  the  afcenfion  of  Jefus,  all 
the  country,  but  for  the  beft  reafons, 
were  not  witneffes.  But  certainly  five 
hundred  who  faw  him  at  one  time,  were 
abundantly  fufficient  to  afcertain  the  fact, 
as  far  as  any  number  could  do  it. 

The  miracle  of  the  gift  of  tongues, 
conferred  on  the  apoftles,  and  all  the 
primitive  Chriftians,  could  not  but  be 

known 


262  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

known  to  all  the  country,  and  in  every 
place  in  which  it  was  conferred.  The  cure 
of  the  lame  beggar  at  the  gate  of  the  tem 
ple,  was,  from  the  circumftancesf  of  it,  as 
public  as  any  thing  of  the  kind  could  well 
be,  and  the  deliverance  of  Peter  and  John 
from  prifon,  when  the  court  and  all  the 
people  knew  of  their  commitment,  and 
were  in  expectation  of  their  being  pro 
duced,  muft  have  engaged  univerfal  atten 
tion.  Paul  was  a  perfon  fo  well  known 
to  the  chief  priefts,  and  fo  active  in  the 
perfecution  of -the  Chriftians,  that  the  cir- 
comftances  of  his  converfion  were,  no 
doubt,  the  fubjeet  of  much  converfation, 
and  the  miracles  that  he  performed  in 
ftriking  Elymas  with  blindnefs  in  the  pre- 
fence  of  the  governor  of  Cyprus,  the  cure 
of  the  lame  man  at  Lyftra,  for  which  the 
people  would  have  facrificed  to  him  as  to 
a  god,  his  cure  of  the  infane  woman  at 
Theffalonica,  and  of  the  demoniacs  at 
Ephefus,  were  of  the  moft  confpicuous 
nature. 

A.  The 


THE    EVIDENCES    OF  263 

4*  The  miracles  recorded  in  the  fcrip- 
tures,  efpe;cially  the  great  ones  which  at 
tended  the  promulgation  of  the  law  of 
Mofes,  and  of  Chriftianity,  were  all  per 
formed  in  the  prefence  of  enemies,  at  leaft 
of  perfons  not  at  all  predilpofed  to  believe 
them,  or  to  be  convinced  by  them.  It 
appears  that  Mofes  himfelf,  who  had  re- 
fided  forty  years  in  Arabia,  and  was  mar 
ried,  and  had  fettled  there,  wras  exceed 
ingly  averfe  to  undertake  any  thing  in  fa 
vour  of  his  countrymen,  and  that  they, 
feeing  no  remedy,  had  acquiefced  in  their 
ftate  of  fervitude ;  but  that  his  reluctance 
was  overcome  by  miracles,  and  the  pofitive 
command  of  God. 

In  his  expoftulation  with  God  on  the 
fubjecl,  he  exprelTed  the  unwillingnefs  of 
his  countrymen  to  believe  his  miffion.  On 
the  fight  of  the  miracles  which  he  was 
impowered  to  work  In  their  prefence, 
they  were  fatisfied  with  refpect  to  it,  but 
their  deliverance  not  being  effected  imme 
diately,  and  their  fervitude  being  render 
ed  more  galling,  they  conceived  great  in 
dignation 


364  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

dignation  againft    Mofes    and  Aaron,  for 
attempting   it.      We    read    Exod.  v.  20. 

Sbid  they  met  Mofes  and  Aaron,  'who  flood  in 
the  way,  as  they  came,  forth  from  P  bar oah,  and 
they  faid  unto  them,  the  Lord  look  upon  you, 
and  judge,  becaufe  you  have  made  our  favour 
to  be  abhorred  in  the  eyes  of  Pharoah,  and  in 
the  eyes  of  his  fervants,  to  put  a  fword  into  their 
bands  to  flay  us.  Mofes  himfelf  at  this  time 
repented  of  his  undertaking.  For  we  read, 
v.  22.  And  Mofes  returned  unto  the  Lord,  and 
faid,  'wherefore  hafl  tbou  fo  evil  intreated  this 
people?  Why  is  it  that  thou  hafl  fent  me,  for 
fmce  I  came  to  Pharoah  to  fpeak  in  thy  name, 
he  hath  done  evil  to  this  people,  neither  hafl  thou 
delivered  thy  people  at  all.  On  this  Mofes  re 
ceived  farther  encouragement,  but  when 
he  fpake  to  his  countrymen  again,  chap. 
ix.  they  hearkened  not  unto  him,  for  anguijh  of 
fpirit,  and  for  cruel  bondage. 

When,  in  confequence  of  a  feries  of 
miracles,  of  the  moft  aftonifhing  kind, 
the  deliverance  of  the  Ifraelites  was  ac 
tually  effe&ed,  and  they  had  marched  out 
of  the  country,  on  perceiving  that  they 

were 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  26$ 

werepurfued,  they  were  exceedingly  alarm 
ed,   and  faid  unto  Mofes,   Exod.  xiv.  1 1 . 

Becaufe  there  'were  no  graves  in  Egypt,  hajl 
thou  taken  us  away  to  die  in  the  ivildernefs. 
Wherefore  haft  thou  dealt  thus  with  us,  to  carry 
us  forth  out  of  Egypt?  Is  not  this  the  word  that 
*we  did  tell  thee  in  Egypt  ?  faying,  Let  us  alone 
that  ive  may  ferve  the  Egyptians.  For  it  had 
been  better  for  us  to  ferve  the  Egyptians,  than 
that  ive  ftould  die  in  the  fwildernefs.  It  was 
almoft  with  as  much  relu&ance  that  the 
Ifraelites  were  induced  to  leave  Egypt  as 
the  Egyptians  exprefled  to  let  them  go. 
On  every  adverfe  event,  or  hardfhip,  we 
find  them  making  the  fame  complaints, 
and  regretting  that  they  had  left  Egypt. 

Thus,  when  they  wanted  water,  we 
read,  Exod.  xvii.  3.  The  people  murmured 
againft  Mofes,  and  faid,  wherefore  is  it  that 
thou  haft  brought  us  out  of  Egypt,  to  kill  us 
and  our  children,  and  our  cattle  with  thirft* 
And  Mofes  cried  unto  the  Lord  faying,  ivhat 
fhall  I  do  unto  this  people,  they  be  almoft  ready 
to  ftone  me.  Finding  no  flefh  meat  in  the 
wildernefs,  they  again  repented  that  they 

z  had 


266  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

had  left  Egypt,  Num.  xi.  4.  They  wept 
faying,  Who  Jhall  give  us  Jlejli  to  eat .  We  remem 
ber  the  fjh  that  we  did  eat  freely  in  Egypt,  the 
cucumbers  and  the  melons,  the  leeks,  the  onions, 
and  the  garlic;  but  now  is  our  foul  dried  away* 
There  is  nothing  at  all  but  this  manna  before 
our  eyes* 

On  the  unfavourable  report  of  the  fpies, 
who  had  been  fent  to  explore  the  land  of 
Canaan,  we  read,  Num.  xiv.  2.  All  the 
children  of  Ifrael  murmured  againft  Mofes  and 
againjl  Aaron,  and  the  -whole  congregation  faid 
unto  them,  Would  God  that  we  had  died  in  the 
land  of  Egypt,  or  'would  God  that  we  had  died 
in  the  wilder nefs ;  and  wherefore  hath  the  Lord 
brought  us  unto  this  land  to  fall  by  the  fword, 
that  our  wives  and  our  children  Jbould  be  a 
*  prey.  Were  it  not  better  for  us  to  return  to 
Egypt.  Again,  when  they  wanted  water, 
after  paffing  forty  years  in  the  wildernefs, 
and  been  maintained  by  miracle  all  that 
time,  we  read,  chap.  xx.  2.  they  gathered 
them/elves  together  againjl  Mofes,  and  againjl 
Aaron,  and  the  people  chode  with  Mofes,  and 
the  people  faid,  Would  God  we  had  died  when 

our 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  367 

our  brethren  died  before  the  Lord,  and  why  have 
ye  brought  up  the  congregation  of  the  Lord  into 
this  wilder  riefs,  that  ive  and  our  cattle  Jkould 
die  there  ;  and  wherefore  have  ye  made  us  come 
up  out  of  Egypt,  to  bring  us  to  this  evil  place? 
It  is  not  a  place  of  feed,  or  of  figs,  or  vines, 
or  pomegranates,  neither  is  there  any  water  to 
drink.  Laftly,  When  Arad  the  Canaanite 
fell  upon  them,  and  took  fome  prifoners, 
we  read,  Numb.  xxi.  4.  the  fouls  of  the 
people  were  much  difcouraged,  becaufe  of  the 
way,  and  the  people  fpake  againft  God  and 
againfl  Mofes,  Wherefore  have  ye  brougbt  us  up 
out  of  Egypt,  to  die  in  the  wildernefs;  for  there 
is  no  bread,  neither  is  there  any  water,  and  our 
foul  loatheth  this  light  bread. 

As  to  the  religion  which  Mofes  pre- 
fcribed  to  this  people,  there  is  the  moft 
abundant  and  indifputable  evidence  of  their 
having  been  very  far  indeed  from  having 
had  any  predilection  for  it.  On  the  con 
trary,  they  from  the  firft  difcovered  a  dif- 
like  for  it,  and  took  every  opportunity  of 
deferting  it,  and  revolting  to  the  more  al- 
z  2  luring 


268  THE    EVIDENCES,    &c. 

luring  rites  of  the  neighbouring  nations; 
and  fuch  as,  no  doubt,  they  had  been  ao 
cuftomed  to,  and  been  fond  of,  in  Egypt. 
But  as  this  is  a  fubjeft  of  the  greateft  im 
portance,  I  fliall  defer  enlarging  upon  it 
to  the  next  opportunity. 


DISCOURSE     X. 

The  evidence  of  the  Mofaic  and  Ghrijiian 
Religions. 


PART     II. 


God,  who,  at  fundry  times,  and  in  divers  manners,  fpake 
in  time  paft  unto  the  fathers,  by  the  prophets,  hath,  ia 
thefe  laft  days,  fpoken  unto  us  by  his  fon. 

HEB.  i,  i~2. 

IN  my  laft  Difcourfe,  I  obferved  that 
the  only  proper  evidence  of  divine  revela 
tion,  is  the  exhibition  of  fomething  to 
which  divine  power  alone  is  equal,  or  pro 
per  miracles,  and  that  thefe,  not  being  ana 
logous  to  common  events,  are,  on  that  ac 
count,  improbable,  a  priori,  and  therefore 
require  more  definite  evidence,  though 
there  is  nothing  that  is  poffible  in  itfelf, 
but  may  be  proved  to  have  taken  place  by 

human 


270  REVEALED    RELIGION. 

human  teftimony.     And  I  farther  obferv- 
ed,  that  all  that  the  moft  fceptical  perfons 
could  require  in  the  cafe,  were  the  follow* 
ing  circumftances,   viz.  that  the  miracles 
muft   be  in  fufficient  number,  and  alfo  ex 
hibited  fo  long,    as  to  afford  fufficient  op 
portunity  to  confider  and  examine  them. 
They  muft  be  on  fo  large  a  fcale,  or  other- 
wife  of  fuch  a  nature,   as  to  exclude  all 
fufpicion    of   trick   and    impofition;     they 
muft  be  exhibited  before  perfons  who  had 
no  previous  difpofition  to   expeft  or   be 
lieve  them;  a  great  degree  of  attention 
muft  be  excited  to  them  at  the  time,  and 
a  fufficient  number  of  perfons  muft  be  in- 
terefted  to  afcertain   their  reality,    while 
the    events    were    recent;    the  hiftory   of 
them  muft  be  coeval  with  the  events,  arid 
the  belief  of  them  muft  have  produced  a 
lading  effeft. 

Three  of  the  firft  mentioned  of  thefe 
circumftances  I  have  already  fhewn  are 
found  in  the  miracles  recorded  in  the  fcrip- 
tures,  and  with  refpeft  to  the  next,  I 
have  Ihewri  that  the  Hebrew  nation  was 

fufficiently 


REVEALED  RELIGION.  271 

fufficiently  indifpofed  to  believe  the  divine 
miffion  of  Mofes  in  general,  and  I  Ihall 
proceed  to  flaow  that  they  were  more  par 
ticularly  indifpofed  to  receive  the  religion 
which  he  prefented  to  them,  and  which  it 
was  the  great  objecT:  of  all  the  miracles  to 
eftablifh.  So  far,  I  have  obferved,  were 
they  from  being  predifpofed  to  receive  and 
embrace  it,  that  from  the  very  firft  they 
difcovered  a  diflike  of  it,  and  took  every 
opportunity  of  deferring  it,  and  revolting 
to  the  more  alluring  rites  of  the  neighbour 
ing  nations,  and  this  difpofition  continued 
more  than  a  thoufand  years. 

Upon  Mofes's  flaying  in  the  mount  longer 
than  the  people  expecled,  and  thinking  they 
fhould  hear  no  more  of  him  (for  he  had  been 
abfent  forty  days,  and  where  he  could  not 
find  any  fuftenance)  we  read  Ex.  xxxii.  I. 
the  people  gathered  themfehts  together  unto  Aa- 
ro*i,  and  f aid  unto  him,  Up  make  us  gods  t/hat 
Jhall^go  before  us.  For  as  for  Ms  Mofes,  the 
man  that  brought  us  up  out  of  the  land  of 
Egypt,  ive  ivot  not  what  is  become  of  him. 
After  this,  they  made  a  golden  calf,  built 

au 


273,  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

an  altar  before  it,  offered  burnt  offerings, 
and  peace  offerings,,  when  the  people  fat  down 
to  eat  and  drink,  and  rofe  up  to  play,  no  doubt 
in  the  licentious  manner  in  which  the  reli 
gious  feftivals  of  the  Egyptians  were  con- 
duded. 

A  fevere  judgment,  and  the  return  of 
Mofes,  brought  them  back  to  the  new  re 
ligion.  But  after  they  had  paffed  forty  years 
in  the  wildernefs,  in  which  they  had  no 
opportunity  of  fhewing  their  difpofition, 
on  coming  into  the  neighbourhood  of  the 
Moabites  and  Medianites,  we  read  Numb. 
xxv.  I .  the  people  began  to  commit  -whoredom  ivitb 
the  daughters  of  Moab,  and  they  called  the  people 
to  the  facrifices  of  their  gods,  and  the  people  did 
eat,  and  bowed  down  to  tbeir  gods,  and  Ifrael 
joined  himfelfunto  Baal  Peor.  Another  heavy 
judgment  recovered  them  from  this  defec 
tion,  but  it  is  not  probable  that  any  reafon- 
ing,  or  expoftulation,  would  have  done  it. 

The  miraculous  paflage  of  the  river 
Jordan,  the  falling  down  of  the  walls  of 
Jericho,  and  their  conquering  the  warlike 
inhabitants  of  Canaan,  devoted  to  the  wor- 

fhip 


REVEALED    RELIGION  473 

fhip  of  idols,  fatisfied  the  Ifraelites  that 
their  God  was  fuperior  to  the  gods  of  that 
country,  and  therefore  we  read  Joih.  xxiv. 
31.  that  Ifrael  ferved  the  Lord  all  the  days  of 
Jo/hua,  and  all  the  days  of  the  elders  who  out 
lived  Jojbua,  who  had  known  all  the  works  of 
the  Lord,  that  he  bad  done  for  Ifrael.  But  the 
very  next  generation  fhewed  a  different 
difpofition.  For  we  read  Jud.  ii.  10.  when 
that  generation  was  gathered  to  their  fathers, 
there  arofe  another  generation  after  them,  which 
knew  not  the  Lord,  nor  yet  the  works  which  be 
had  done  for  Ifrael;  and  the  children  of  Ifrael 
did  evil  in  the  fight  of  the  Lord,  and  ferved 
Baalim,  and  they  forfook  the  Lord  god  of  their 
fathers,  who  brought  them  out  of  the  land  of 
Egypt,  and  followed  other  gods,  of  the  gods  of 
the  people  who  were  round  about  them,  and  bowed 
themfelves  unto  them,  and  provoked  the  Lord  to 
anger,  and  they  forfook  tbe  Lord,  and  ferved 
Baal  and  Aflrtaroth. 

The  hiftory  of  this  people,  till  the  time 
of  Samuel,  is  nothing  but   a  repetition  of 
revolts,  and  punimments  for  them,   by  the 
invafion  and  oppreffion  of  fome  neighbour 
ing 


274  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

ing  nation.  When  they  repented,  as  we  read 
Jud,  ii.  1 6.  the  Lord  raifed  up  judges,  'who 
delivered  them  out  of  the  hand  ofthofe  thatfpoiled 
them,  and  yet  they  ivould  not  hearken  unto  their 
judges;  but  they  luent  a  whoring  after  other  gods, 
and  bowed  themfelves  unto  them.  They  turned 
quickly  out  of  the  way  which  their  fathers  walked 
in,  obeying  the  commandments  of  the  Lord,  hit 
they  did  not  fo.  And  when  the  Lord  raifed  them 
lip  judges,  then  was  the  Lord  with  the  judge,  and 
delivered  them  out  of  the  hand  of  tfeir  enemies, 
all  the  days  of  the  judge.  And  it  came  to  pajs 
when  that  judge  was  dead,  that  they  returned  and 
corrupted  themfelves  more  than  their  fathers,  in 
fallowing  other  gods,  to  ferve  them,  and  to  bow 
down  unto  them.  They  ceafed  not  from  their 
own  doings,  and  from  their  Jlubborn  way.  And 
the  anger  of  the  Lord  was  hot  againjl  Ifrael,  and 
hefaid,  Becaufe  this  people  has  tranfgreffed  my  co } 
v.enant,  which  I  commanded  their  fathers,  and 
have  not  hearkened  unto  my  voice,  I  alfo  will  not 
henceforth  drive  out  any  from  before  them,  of  the 
nations  which  Jojhua  left  when  he  died,  that 
through  them  I  may  prove  Ifrael,  whether  they 
will  ke,ep  the  way  of  the  Lord,  to  walk  therein \ 
#f  their  fathers  did  keep  it,  or  not. 

For 


REVEALED*  RELIGION.  275 

For  thefe  revolts  they  were  reduced 
into  fervitude,  firft  by  Cufhan-rifhathaim, 
king  of  Mefopotamia,  from  whofe  power 
they  were  refcued  by  Othniel ,  then  by 
the  king  of  Moab,  from  whom  they  were 
delivered  by  Ehud;  then  by  the  Philif- 
tines,  when  they  were  delivered  by  Sham* 
gar.  From  Jabin  king  of  Canaan,  they 
were  delivered  by  Deborah  and  Barak ; 
from  the  Midianites  by  Gideon,  from  the 
Ammonites  by  Jephtha,  from  the  Philif- 
tines  a  fecond  time,  in  part  by  Samfon, 
but  more  completely  by  Saul  and  David, 
under  whom  the  worfhip  of  Jehovah  was 
rendered  triumphant ;  and  in  that  ftate  it 
continued  till  the  latter  end  of  the  reign 
of  Solomon,  when  he  had  the  weaknefs 
not  only  to  indulge  his  wives,  taken  from 
the  neighbouring  nations,  in  the  worihip 
of  the  gods  of  their  refpe&ive  countries, 
but  to  join  them  in  it. 

Notwithftanding  the  very  flourifhing 
ftate  of  the  affairs  of  the  Israelites  in  the 
reigns  of  David  and  Solomon,  which  was 
always  in  thofe  days,  and  long  afterwards, 

afcribed 


276  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

afcribed  to  the  power  of  the  gods  that 
they  worfhipped,  the  ten  tribes  which  re* 
volted  from  the  houfe  of  David,  revolted 
alfo  from  the  religion  of  Mofes,  at  firft  in 
deed  by  only  fetting  up  images  at  Dan  and 
Bethel,  in  honour  of  the  true  God,  but 
afterwards,  and  efpecially  in  the  reign  of 
Ahab,  worlhipping  Baal,  and  all  the  hoft 
of  heaven.  And  though  by  the  judgment 
of  a  three  years  drought,  in  which  they 
found  that  the  worfhip  of  Baal  could  give 
them  no  relief,  and  the  feafonable  miracle 
of  Elijah  at  mount  Carmel,  they  were  re 
covered,  at  leaft  for  fome  time,  from  this 
Ipecies  of  idolatry,  they  continued  to  wor- 
Ihip  the  calves  at  Dan  and  Bethel,  till 
their  captivity  by  the  Aflyrians;  when 
they  became  fo  mixed  and  incorporated 
with  other  nations,  as  not  to  be  diftin- 
guilhed;  and  whether  they  be  now  difco- 
vered  or  not,  they  are  without  any  badge 
of  their  antient  religion,  to  which  it  is  evi 
dent  they  never  difcovered  any  attach 
ment. 

The 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  &tf 

The  kingdom  of  Judah  having  the 
temple  within  its  limits,  and  other  advan 
tages,  adhered  better  to  the  worfhip  of 
the  true  God,  but  with  feveral  remark 
able  departures  from  it,  as  in  the  reign  of 
Rehoboam  the  fon  of  Solomon,  who  as 
we  read,  2Chron.  xii.  I.  forfook  the  law  of 
the  Lord,  and  all  Ifrael  ivilb  him ;  in  that  of 
Jehoram,  the  fon  of  Jehofaphat,  of  Aha- 
ziah,  of  Joafh,  after  the  death  of  the  pious 
high-prieft  Jehoiada,  of  Ahaz,  of  Manaf- 
feh,  who  made  ufe  of  the  temple  itfelf, 
for  the  worfhip  of  other  gods;  and  of 
Amon,  Jehoiakim,  and  Zedekiah,  whofe 
reign  was  put  an  end  to  by  Nebuchadnez 
zar  taking  Jerufalem,  deftroying  the  tem 
ple,  and  carrying  the  people  into  captivity 
to  Babylon. 

If  this  hiftory,  of  which  I  have  only 
given  a  faint  outline,  do  not  fupply  fuffi- 
cient  and  redundant  evidence  of  the  dif- 
like  which  the  Ifraelites  had  to  the  infti- 
tutions  of  Mofes,  and  confequently  of  the 
reluctance  with  which  they  muft  have  re 
ceived,  and  conformed  to  them,  nothing 

can 


•378  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

can  be  proved  concerning  the  difpofition 
and  turn  of  thinking  of  any  people  what 
ever.  It  cannot,  therefore,  be  denied, 
that  all  the  miracles  wrought  to  eftablifh 
this  religion,  and  confirm  them  in  it,  may 
be  confidered  as  exhibited  before  enemies, 
perfons  predifpofed  not  to  receive,  but  to 
cavil  at,  and  rejed  it.  This  is  the  more 
remarkable,  as  there  is  no  other  inflance 
in  all  hiftory,  of  any  nation  volunta 
rily  abandoning  the  religion  of  their  an- 
ceftors  till  the  promulgation  of  Chriftia- 
nity,  before  which  they  all  gradually  dif- 
appeared,  like  clouds  before  the  fun. 

The  Babylonifh  captivity  having  been 
foretold,  together  with  its  exaft  duration, 
by  the  Hebrew  prophets,  and  the  over 
throw  of  Babylon,  famous  for  its  addifted- 
nefs  to  idol  worfhip,  effectually  cured 
thofe  of  the  Jews  who  returned  to  their 
own  country,  and  no  doubt  many  others, 
of  any  difpofition  to  the  worfhip  of  fo 
reign  gods,  but  they  were  not  by  this 
means  the  more,  but  in  fa£l,  the  lefs  dif- 
pofed  to  receive  the  miracles  of  Jefus. 

Indeed 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  279 

Indeed  it  is  evident  that  they  had  not  been 
previoufly  difpofed  to  believe  any  miracles. 
For  before  the  appearance  of  Jefus,  there 
had  been  no  pretenfions  to  a  power  of 
working  miracles  in  the  country,  a  cir- 
cumftance  which  by  no  means  agrees  with 
the  charge  commonly  advanced  againft 
the  Jews  as  a  credulous  people.  It  is  well 
known,  however,  that  when  Jefus  appeared, 
the  nation  in  general,  then  in  a  ftate  of 
fubjeclion  to  the  Romans,  a  fituation  which 
they  ill  brooked,  were  in  anxious  expecta 
tion  of  the  appearance  of  the  Meffiah  an 
nounced  by  their  prophets,  and  who 
they  took  for  granted,  was  immediately 
to  affume  the  character  of  a  temporal 
prince,  refcue  them  from  their  fubjection 
to  the  Romans,  and  give  them  the  domi 
nion  of  the  whole  world;  and  certainly 
to  this  character  that  of  Jefus  bore  no  re- 
femblance. 

Befides,  Jefus's  free  cenfure  of  the 
priefts,  and  leading  men  in  the  nation, 
foon  made  them  his  moft  bitter  enemies. 
They,  feeing,  that  whatever  he  was,  they 

had 


280  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

had  nothing  to  expeft  from  him,  fpared  no 
pains  to  deftroy  him,  and  did  not  reft  till 
they  had  actually  compafled  his  death. 
All  the  miracles  of  Jefus,  therefore,  were 
exhibited  before  enemies.  Even  the  moft 
virtuous  and  beft  difpofed  of  the  Jews 
were  as  much  attached  to  the  idea  of  a 
temporal  prince,  for  their  Meifiah,  as  any 
of  their  countrymen,  fo  that  even  this 
part  of  the  nation  muft  have  been  exceed 
ingly  indifpofed  to  receive  Jefus  in  that 
character ;  and  when  they  did  it,  it  was 
with  the  idea  that,  though  he  did  not  affume 
it  then,  he  would  at  fome  future  time. 
Even  after  his  refurreclion,  the  apoftles 
alked  him  whether  he  would  at  that  time 
re/lore  the  kingdom  to  Ifrael,  AcSls  i.  6.  and 
their  minds  were  not  fully  enlightened 
on  this  fubjecl:  till  after  the  defcent  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  on  the  day  of  Pentecoft. 
The  refurreftion  of  Jefus,  though 
the  moft  pleafing  event  to  all  his  difciples, 
was  a  thing  of  which,  it  it  is  evident,  they 
had  no  expectation  after  his  death,  fo  that 
it  was  not  without  the  greateft  difficulty, 

and 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  a8i 

and*  the  moft  undeniable  evidence,  that  of 
their  own  fenfes,  that  they  were  brought  to 
believe  it  *  The  manner  in  which  the  apoftle 
Thomas  expreffed  his  incredulity  on  the  fub- 
jeft,  is  very  remarkable.  He  was  not  pre- 
fent  at  the  firft  appearance  of  Jefus,  and 
when  the  others,  as  we  read,  John  xx.  25, 
faid  unto  him,  We  have  feen  the  Lord,  he 
faid  unto  them,  Except  I  fee  in  bis  hands  the 
prints  of  his  nails,  and  put  my  finger  into  the 
print  of  the  nails,  and  thrujl  my  hand  into  his 
fide,  I  'will  not  believe.  In  this  particular, 
however,  Jefus,  the  next  time  that 'he  ap 
peared  to  his  difciples,  gave  him  the  fatis- 
facHon  that  he  demanded.  For  be  ~  faid  to 
Thomas,  Reach  hither  thy  finger,  and  behold  my 
hands,  and  reach  hither  tby  hand,  and  thrujl  it 
into  my  fide,  and  be  not  faithlefs,  but  believing. 
No  doubt  all  the  reft  of  the  apoftles  were  at 
firft,  in  the  fame  ft  ate  of  mind  with  refpect 
to  this  event.  In  this  cafe,  therefore,  even 
the  difciples  of  Chrift,  may  be  confidered 
as  prejudiced  againft  the  reception  of  this 
great  miracle,  and  are  by  no  means  to  be 
chargeable  with  credulity. 

A  a  The 


s8a  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

The  apoftles,  and  all  the  firft  preachers 
of  chrifiianity,  were  in  the  fame  fituation 
with  refpect  to  the  great  body  of  the  Jews, 
that  Jefus  had  been  in  before  them;  and 
nothing  could  be  more  violent  than  the  op- 
pofition  they  actually  met  with.  One  of 
the  moft  remarkable  converfions,  was  that 
of  Paul,  and  in  the  hiftory  of  it,  we  fee, 
in  the  ftrongeft  light,  the  extreme  preju 
dice  which  even  the  better  kind  of  Jews, 
entertained  againft  chriflianity.  Nothing 
lefs  than  the  appearance  of  Jefus  himfelf, 
was  able  to  effect  his  converfion.  Of  the  mi 
raculous  circumftances  attending  this  con 
verfion,  his  chofen  companions,  men  who, 
no  doubt,  were  actuated  with  as  much  zeal 
as  himfelf,  againft  the  new  religion,  and 
who  probably  continued  enemies  to  it,  were 
witnefles,  and  to  them  he  afterwards  ap 
pealed  for  what  they  faw  and  heard,  viz.  a 
light  furpaffing  that  of  the  fun  at  noon-day; 
and  the  found  of  a  voice,  though  they  did 
not  diftinguiih  the  words,  that  were  direct 
ed  to  him. 


As 


REVEALED      RELIGION.  283 

As  to  the  Gentiles,  nothing  can  be  ima 
gined  more  unpromifing  than  the  miflion 
of  the  apoftles  to  them.  The  pride  of  the 
Jews,  and  the  contempt  with  which  they 
treated  other  nations,  had  given  rife,  as 
was  natural,  to  an  equal  degree  of  hatred 
and  contempt  on  their  fide;  fo  that  nothing 
coming  from  a  Jeuu9  was  at  all  likely  to 
be  favourably  attended  to  by  them.  The 
heathens  in  general,  and  the  Greeks  and 
Romans  in  particular,  were  moft  ftrongly 
attached  to  the  rites  of  their  religions,  and 
thought  the  obfervance  of  them  neceflary 
to  the  profperity  of  their  feveral  flates. 
The  graveft  magiftrates  dreaded  the  dif- 
continuance  of  them,  and  the  profligate  and 
licentious  among  the  heathens,  gave  a  loofe, 
as  I  have  ihewn,  under  the  fanftion  of  re 
ligion,  to  their  favourite  vicious  propenfi- 
ties,  in  the  greatefl  latitude.  The  learned 
and  philofophical  among  the  heathens, 
looked  with  the  greateft  contempt  on  the 
plainnefs  and  want  of  eloquence,  in  the 
apoftles,  and  other  preachers  of  chriftianity* 
In  this  ftate  of  things,  then,  was  it  to  be 

A  a  2  expeftcd 


284  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

expefted  that  the  heathen  world  in  general, 
would  be  at  all  credulous,  with  refpeft  to 
miracles  wrought  by  fuch  men.  On  the 
contrary,  the  preachers  of  chriftianity,  had 
nothing  to  expect  but  the  extreme  of  in 
credulity.  In  fact,  great  numbers  could 
not  be  brought  to  give  the  leaft  attention 
to  any  thing  that  was  reported  concerning 
them,  or  to  look  into  any  of  their  books. 
Dr.  Lardner  obferves,  that  it  is  pretty  evi 
dent  that  even  Pliny,  who  gave  the  empe 
ror  Trajan  an  account  of  his  proceedings 
againft  the  Chriftians,  and  his  examination 
of  them,  when  they  were  brought  before 
his  tribunal,  (and  he  was  a  man  of  letters) 
had  not  read  any  of  the  books  of  the  New 
Teftament,  or  any  other  writings  of  Chrif 
tians,  which  were  unqueftionably  extant. 
If,  therefore,  the  new  religion  did  make 
its  way,  it  muft  have  been  againft  every 
poffible  difadvantage,  and  hiftory  fhews  that 
this  was  the  cafe. 

5.  In  order  to  fecure  credit  to  accounts 
of  miracles,  there  muft  be  both  opportunity, 
and  motive,  for  examining  into  the  truth 

of 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  285 

of  the  facls.      Now,    the  miracles  being 
numerous,  a  circumftance  on  which  I  have 
already  enlarged,  gives  opportunity  for  ex 
amination;  fo  alfo  does  that  of  their  conti 
nuance  fome  fpace  of  time,  and  this  was  the 
cafe  with  refpect  to  many,  T  may  fay  almoft 
all  the  miracles,  which  have  been  already 
mentioned,  particularly  the  feveral  plagues 
of  Egypt,  none  of  which  were  momentary 
appearances,   but  all  were   of  fome   days 
continuance.      Such,  alfo,   was  the  paffage 
through  the  red  fea,  and  the  river  Jordan, 
one  of  which  took  up  a  whole  night,   and 
the  other  a  whole  day.     The  fame  was  the 
cafe  with  refpect  to  the   delivery  of  the 
ten  commandments  from  mount  Sinai,  but 
more  efpecially  the  miracle  of  the  manna, 
and  the  pillar  of  cloud  and  fire,  which  con- 
nued  forty  years. 

The  cures  performed  by  Jefus,  though 
inftantaneous,  produced  lafting  effects,  efpe 
cially  his  raifmg  of  the  dead,  as  of  Lazarus, 
which,  as  we  read,  excited  much  curiofity 
to  fee  him  afterwards.  Our  Saviour's  own 
appearance  after  his  refurreclion,  was  not 

like 


286  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

like  that  of  an  apparition  in  the  night,  but 
always  in  the  day  time,  and  frequently  re 
peated.  His  firft  appearance  was  when 
his  difciples  had  no  expectation  of  any  fuch 
thing,  fo  that  they  could  not  have  been 
deceived  by  their  imaginations,  and  after 
wards  by  particular  appointment,  fo  that 
they  had  time  to  recollect  themfelves,  and 
to  procure  any  kind  of  fatisfa&ion  that 
they  wanted;  and  this  continued  the  fpace 
of  forty  days  before  his  afcenfion,  which 
appears  to  have  been  leifurely,  fo  that 
they  who  were  prefent  flood  gazing  fome 
time,  while  they  faw  him  go  above  the 
clouds.  He  did  not  leave  them  in  a  private 
manner,  and  go  they  knew  not  whither. 

But  the  beft  opportunity  for  examining 
the  truth  of  any  facts,  is  when  fome  per- 
fons  aflert,  and  others  deny  them,  and 
when  they  are  at  the  fame  time  much  in- 
terefted  in  the  event  of  the  inquiry,  as  by 
having  what  is  moft  dear  to  them  depend 
ing  upon  it.  And  this  was  remarkably 
the  cafe  with  refpect  to  the  refurrection  of 
Jefus.  With  refpedl  to  his  miracles,  and 

alfo 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  287 

alfo  thofe  of  the  apoftles,  there  does  not 
appear  to  have  been  any  difpute  about 
them,  by  thofe  who  were  then  in  the 
country.  They  only  afcribed  them  to  a 
falfe  caufe.  But  Jefus  not  appearing  to  all 
perfons  after  his  refurre&ion,  and  efpecial- 
ly  not  to  his  enemies,  but  only  to  his  friends, 
though  in  numbers  abundantly  fufficient 
for  the  purpofe,  his  enemies  denied  that 
fact. 

The  fa£l,  however,  was  of  fo  very 
important  a  nature,  that  we  cannot  doubt 
but  that  it  muft  have  been  thoroughly 
inveftigated,  much  more  fo  than  any  othe  r 
fad:  in  all  hiftory,  becaufe  infinitely  more 
depended  upon  it,  than  upon  any  other  fad: 
whatever.  For  in  a  very  fhort  time  fuch  was 
the  rage  of  the  rulers  of  the  Jews  againft  the 
rifmg  feft,  that  not  only  were  the  peace,  and 
the  property,  but  the  lives  of  the  Chriftians 
at  flake,  and  thefe  they  would  not  give  up 
for  an  idle  tale.  At  the  fame  time  their 
perfecutors,  who  were  the  men  in  power, 
ftimulatedby  hatred  and  oppofidon,  would 
leave  nothing  untried  to  refute  the  ftory. 
This  ftate  of  things  began  immediately 

after 


±88  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

after  the  refurredion  of  Jefus,  and  continu 
ed  about  three  hundred  years,  during  all 
which  time  the  Chriftians,  though  expofed 
to  grevious  perfecution,  kept  increafing  in 
number,  till  at  the  time  that  Conftantine 
was  advanced  to  the  empire,  it  was  not 
only  fafe,  but  advantageous  to  him  to  de 
clare  himfelf  a  Chriftian.  We  may  there 
fore  be  fatisfied,  that  the  great  facl  of  the 
refurre&ion  of  Jefus,  on  which  the  truth  of 
chriftianity  more  particularly  depends,  un 
derwent  a  more  thorough  inveftigation  than 
any  other  facT;  in  hiftory. 

This  rigorous  fcrutiny  began  while  the 
event  was  recent,  and  when  there  was, 
accordingly,  the  beft  opportunity  of  ex 
amining  into  its  truth  or  falfehood.  Paul, 
who  fays  that  Jefus  at  one  time  appeared 
to  more  than  five  hundred  perfons,  fays 
that  the  greater  part  of  them  were  then 
living,  and  of  courfe  liable  to  be  interro 
gated  on  the  fubject.  Now,  had  Jefus 
appeared  as  publicly  after  his  crucifixion 
as  he  did  before,  and  of  courfe  the  whole 
Jewilh  nation  had  become  Chriftians,  we 

fhould 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  289 

Ihould  now  have  been  without  this  moft 
fatisfaftory  argument  for  the  truth  of  the 
fad. 

It  would,  in  this  cafe,  have  been  faid, 
that  the  Jews,  always  a  credulous  nation, 
(though  this  has  appeared  to  have  been  the 

reverfe  of  the  truth)   had  for  fome  reafon 

t  / 

or  other,  which  it  is  now  impoffible  to  af- 
certain,  changed  their  religion,  or  ra 
ther  made  fome  addition  to  what  they 
profefled  before,  and  that  as  no  perfon 
objected  to  it  at  the  time,  there  is  no  evi 
dence  now  before  us  that  the  facls,  or 
reafons,  on  which  it  was  founded,  were 
properly  fcrutinized;  and  that  it  is  impof 
fible  to  do  it  at  this  diftance.  And  thus 
chriftianity  might  have  fpread  no  farther 
than  Judaifm. 

6.  To  enfure  the  credibility  of  mi 
racles,  it  muft  appear  that  the  accounts  of 
of  them  were  written  while  the  facls  were 
recent,  fo  that  an  appeal  might  be  made 
to  living  witneffes,  and  this  was  never  in 
antient  times  queftioned  with  refpect  to 
the  principal  books  of  the  Old  or  the  New 

Teftament. 


*go  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

Teftament.  Befides,  the  internal  evidence 
of  the  books  afcribed  to  Mofes,  having 
been  written  by  him,  or  by  fome  perfon 
under  his  dire&ion,  which  to  every  im 
partial  reader  of  them,  muft  appear 
ftronger  than  the  evidence  of  any  other 
books  having  been  written  by  any  other 
perfons,  whofe  names  they  bear,  the  fa& 
was  never  doubted  by  the  Hebrew  nation, 
the  only  proper  witnefles  in  the  cafe,  from 
the  earlieft  times  to  the  prefent ;  and  no 
thing  ftronger  than  this  can  be  faid  in  fa 
vour  of  the  authenticity  of  any  writings 
whatever. 

This  argument  is  peculiarly  ftrong 
with  refpeft  to  the  writings  of  Mofes,  on 
account  of  the  reluctance  with  which  thofe 
writings,  and  the  whole  hiftory  of  that 
nation,  Ihows,  that  they  received  his  in- 
ftrudions.  If  thofe  of  the  Ifraelites  who 
were  addi&ed  to  the  religious  rites  of 
the  neighbouring  nations,  and  who  were 
frequently  the  majority  of  the  people, 
could  have  fhewn  that  the  books  afcribed 
to  Mofes,  were  not  written  by  him,  or 

by 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  291 

by  his  authority,  would  they  not  have 
done  it,  and  thereby  have  had  the  beft 
reafon  for  continuing  in  the  religion  they 
preferred  ?  And  what  motive  could  any 
man  have  to  forge  books  which  would  be 
fure  to  give  the  greateft  offence,  and  could 
not  fail  to  be  reje&ed  with  contempt  and 
indignation  ? 

The  account  of  the  death  of  Mofes  in 
the  laft  chapter  of  the  book  of  Deuterono 
my,  could  not  have  been  written  by  him- 
felf.  But  what  was  more  natural,  than  for 
fome  perfon  of  eminence,  acquainted  with 
the  faft,  perhaps  Jofhua,  or  the  high  priefL 
at  the  time,  adding  this  account  to  the 
writings  of  Mofes,  and  its  being  afterwards 
annexed  to  them.  Alfo,  notes  by  way  of 
explanation  of  certain  paflages,  were,  no 
doubt,  firft  inferted  in  the  margin,  as  has 
been  the  cafe  with  many  antient  books, 
and  afterwards  added  by  tranfcribers,  in 
the  text.  But  fuch  circumftances  as  thefe 
are  never  thought  to  affe&  the  genuinenefs 
of  any  antient  writings.  Judicious  criti- 
cifm  eafily  diftinguiihes  the  cafual  additions, 
from  the  original  text. 

The 


392  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

The  internal  evidence  of  the  authen 
ticity  of  the  writings  of  Mofes  is  peculiarly 
ftrong.  No  other  than  a  perfon  actually 
prefent  at  the  tranfaclions  could  have  re 
lated  them  in  the  manner  in  which  we 
find  his  narratives  written,  with  fo  many 
particulars  of  perfons,  times,  and  places, 
and  with  fo  natural  an  account  of  the  im- 
preffion  that  was  made  on  the  minds  of 
men  by  the  events  that  he  relates*. 

*  That  additions  may  be  made  to  books,  and  even  fuch 
as  the  writers  difapprove  of,  we  have  a  remarkable  inftance 
of  in  the  firft  part  of  Mr.  Fame's  Age  of  Reafun.  In  the  fecond 
part  juft  publifhed  in  this  city,  he  fays,  p.  84.  "  The  for- 
"  mer  part  of  the  Age  of  Reafon  has  not  been  publifhed  two 
"  years,  and  there  is  already  an  expreflionin  it  that  is  not  mine. 
"  The  expreflion  is,  The  book  of  Luke  was  carried  by  a  majority  of 
'*  one  vote  only.  It  may  be  true,  but  it  is  not  I  that  have  faid 
"  it.  Some  perfon,  who  might  know  of  that  circumftance, 
"  has  added  it  in  a  note  at  the  bottom  of  the  page  of  fome  of 
"  the  editions,  printed  either  in  England  or  in  America,  and 
"  the  printers,  after  that  have  creeled  it  into  the  body  of  the 
**  work,  and  made  me  the  author  of  it.  If  this  has  happen- 
"  ed  within  fuch  a  ftiort  fpace  of  time,  notwithftanding  the 
"  aid  of  printing,  which  prevents  the  alteration  of  copies 
"  individually,  what  may  not  have  happened  in  a  much 
"  greater  length  of  time,  where  there  was  no  printing."  He 
adds,  "  and  when  any  man  who  would  write,  could  make 
"  a  written  copy,  and  call  it  an  original  by  Matthew,  Mark, 
"Luke,  or  John."  But  though  this  might  eafily  happen 
with  reipecl:  to  flight  circumilances,  according  with  the  reft  of 

a  book 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  293 

It  fhould  alfo  be  confidered,  that  books 
were  not  forged  till  men  were  praftifed  in 
the  art  of  writing,  and  many  books  had 
been  written,  fo  that  confiderable  ad 
vances  had  been  made  in  the  art  of  com- 
pofition  and  of  criticifm.  We  may  there 
fore  conclude  with  certainty,  that  the 
books  afcribed  to  Mofes,  which  are  un- 
queftionably  of  as  great  antiquity  as  any 
in  the  world,  except  perhaps  the  book  of 
Job,  and  a  very  few  others  mentioned  by 
Mofes,  are  no  forgeries.  Otherwife,  the 
art  of  forging  hiftorical  writings,  the  moft 
difficult  of  all  others,  was  brought  to  the 
greateft  perfection  all  at  once,  a  fuppofl- 
tion  that  cannot  be  admitted.  Indeed, 
there  does  not  appear  to  have  been  the 

a  book,  well  known  to  exift,  the  fabrication  of  idide  books, 
which  were  not  known  to  exifl  at  all,  and  impofing  them 
on  the  world,  when  the  belief  of  their  contents  drew  after 
it  the  facrifice  of  every  thing  dear  to  a  man  in  life,  and 
often  of  life  itfelf,  was  not  fo  eafy. 

The  infertion  Mr.  Paine  complains  of,  being  a  recent 
thing,  and  all  the  editions  of  his  book  not  very  numerous, 
may  be  traced  to  its  author,  and  it  behoves  him,  or  his 
friends,  to  do  it ;  but  this  cannot  be  done  with  refpecl  to 
books  written  two  or  three  thoufand  years  ago, 

leaft 


s94  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

leaft  fufpicion  of  the  forgery  of  any  books 
till  after  the  time  in  which  all  thofe  of  the 
Old  Teftament  are  well  known  to  have 
been  extant.  There  cannot,  therefore,  be 
any  reafonable  doubt  but  that  the  books 
afcribed  not  only  to  Mofes,  but  thofe  to 
the  prophets  Ifaiah,  Jeremiah,  Ezekiel, 
and  Daniel,  are  genuine,  except  fo  far  as 
they  may  have  fuifered  by  tranfcribers. 

The  objeffion  of  Porphyry  to  the  book 
of  Daniel,  that  it  was  written  after  the 
time  of  Antiochus  Epiphanes  (for  which 
it  does  not  appear  that  he  had  any  other 
evidence  than  the  exact  fulfilment  of  fome 
part  of  his  prophecies  in  the  events)  is 
certainly  not  to  be  regarded.  It  can  de 
rive  no  more  weight  from  the  time  in 
which  he  wrote,  than  if  it  had  been  firft 
advanced  at  this  day,  becaufe  it  is  only 
an  argument  from  what  appears  on  the 
face  of  the  book  itfelf,  which  is  before  us, 
as  it  was  before  him.  And  at  that  time 
the  evidence  of  the  whole  Jewifli  nation, 
which  had  always  recieved  that  book,  and 
in  fact  that  of  the  Samaritans  too,  who, 

as 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  295 

as  far  as  appears,    never  objecled   to  it, 
was  againit  him. 

In  is  moreover  felf  evident,  and  in 
deed  never  was  denied,  that  the  books  of 
the  Old  Teftament  were  written  by  differ 
ent  perfbns,  and  at  different  times.  That 
any  number  of  them  mould  have  been 
written  by  the  fame  perfon,  or  a  combina 
tion  of  perfons,  and  impofcd  upon  a  whole 
nation  as  written  in  former  times,  and  by 
different  perfons  in  thofe  times  (efpecially 
confidering  the  many  ungrateful  truths 
contained  in  thefe  books)  is  an  hypothefis 
which  no  perfon  will  fay  is  even  poffible. 
Confequently,  the  references  to  particular 
books  from  others,  may  fafely  be  admitted 
as  an  evidence  of  their  genuinenefs,  which 
is  the  principal  argument  for  the  age,  and 
the  genuinenefs,  of  all  other  antient  writ 
ings.  Now  it  appears  from  the  books  of 
Kings  and  Chronicles,  that  Ifaiah  lived  in 
the  time  of  Hezekiah,  and  from  the  fame 
that  Jeremiah  lived  at  the  time  of  the  fiege 
of  Jerufalem  by  Nebuchadnezzar,  which 
is  abundantly  evident  from  his  own  writ 
ings. 


296  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

ings.  The  narrative  part  of  the  book  of 
Jeremiah  is  remarkably  circumftantial,  fo  as 
to  render  its  internal  evidence  unqueftion- 
able.  I  do  not  even  think  it  poffible  for  any 
perfon  of  the  leafl  degree  of  judgment  in 
thefe  matters,  to  entertain  a  fufpicion  of  its 
being  a  forgery  of  a  later  time.  Jeremiah 
is  alfo  mentioned  in  the  book  of  Daniel. 
Such  too  is  the  internal  evidence  for  the 
genuinenefs  of  the  book  of  Ezekiel  who 
makes  mention  of  Daniel,  of  that  of  Da 
niel  too,  and  of  all  the  other  prophetical 
books,  in  which  there  is  any  mention  of 
or  allufion  to  hiftorical  facls. 

A  circumftance  which  adds  to  the  au 
thenticity  of  the  writings  of  Mofes,  is, 
that  the  folemn  cuftoms  and  religious  rites 
of  the  Jews,  fuch  as  their  public  feftivals, 
and  efpecially  the  obfervance  of  the  paflb- 
ver,  were  coeval  with  them,  fo  that  they, 
as  it  were,  vouch  for  each  other.  The 
paflbver  was  a  folemn  cuftom,  exprefsly 
inftituted,  in  commemoration  of  the  deli^ 
verance  of  the  Ifraelites  from  their  bond 
age  in  Egypt,  and  began  to  be  obferved  at 

the 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  297 

the  very  time ;  fo  that  accompanied  as  it 
is  with  the  written  account  of  it,  it  is  the 
mod  authentic  of  all  records.  No  other 
event  in  hiftory,  is  fo  fully  authenticated 
as  this,  except  that  of  the  death  of  Chrift, 
by  a  fimilar  rite,  viz.  that  of  the  Lord's 
Supper. 

The  early  exiftence  of  the  feft  of  the 
Samaritans  affords  a  proof  that  the  books 
of  Mofes  have  not  undergone  any  material 
alteration  from  before  the  time  of  the  Ba- 
bylonifli  captivity.  If  Ezra,  who  collected 
the  books  after  that  event,  had  made  any 
material  alteration  in  them,  the  Samari 
tans,  who  were  then  extremely  hoftile  to 
him,  and  to  all  who  refided  and  worfhip- 
ped  at  Jerufalem,  would,  no  doubt,  have 
expoled  it.  But  in  our  Saviour's  time, 
they  had  the  fame  refpecl  for  the  books  of 
Mofes,  that  the  Jews  themfelves  ever  had; 
and  this  they  have  at  this  very  day.  It 
is  probable  too,  that  they  had  the  fame 
refpecT:  for  the  writings  of  the  prophets, 
though  they  did  not  make  ufe  of  them  in 
their  religious  worfhip,  and  therefore  had 

B  b  no 


298  THE     EVIDENCES,    OF 

no  copies  of  them;  for  they  appear  (John 
iv.  25.)  to  have  expected  a  Meffiah,  of 
whom  there  is  no  account,  but  in  the  ;wri- 
tings  of  the  prophets. 

There  is  fimilar  evidence,  internal  and  ex 
ternal,  that  the  principal  books  of  the  New 
Teftament,  by  which  I  mean  the  hiftorical 
ones,  and  alfo  that  the  epiftles  of  Paul, 
were  written  while  the  events  were  recent, 
and  that  they  were  received  as  fuch,  by 
thofe  who  were  moft  interefted  in  their  con 
tents.  This  was  never  queftioned  by  any 
unbeliever,  within  feveral  hundred  years  of 
the  time  of  their  publication.  It  was  admit 
ted  by  Celfus,  and  the  emperor  Julian,  both 
of  whom  wrote  againft  chriftianity,  and  did 
not  even  queftion  the  truth  of  the  greater 
part  of  the  miracles  recorded  in  them. 
And  yet  Mr.  Paine,  ignorant  of  this,  af- 
ferts  in  the  fecond  part  of  his  Age  of  Re af on, 
p.  83.  that  '  there  is  not  the  leaft  fliadow 

*  of  evidence,   who  the  perfons  were  that 
'  wrote  the  books   afcribed   to  Matthew, 
'  Mark,   Luke  or  John,   that  none  of  the 

*  books  of  the  New  Teftament,  were  writ 

ten 


REVEALED    RELIGION. 

*  ten  by  the  men  called  apoftles,   and  that 

*  there    was    no  fuch    book    as    the    New 

*  Tejlamentt  till  more  than  three  hundred 
'  years  after  the  time  that  Chrift  is  faid  to 

*  have  lived/    that  is   about  the    time  of 
Conftantine.     On  this  fuppofition  how  ftu- 
pendous  a  miracle,    mud  have  been    the 
overthrow  of  heathenifm,   and  the  general 
reception   of  Chriftianity,    in  the  Roman 
empire  at  that  period.      This  would  have 
been  far  more  extraordinary,  than  all  the 
miracles  recorded  in  the  fcriptures.   But  to 
this  obvious  confequence  of  his  hypothecs,. 
Mr.  Paine  had  certainly  given  no  attention. 
In  the  fame  manner,  he  alone,   of  all  un 
believers,   fays  that  none  of  the  books  of 
the  Old  Teftament,   were  written  before 
the  Babylonifh  captivity.      He  might  with 
as  much  plaufibility,   fay   that  the  whole 
Bible  was  a  publication  of  the  laft  century. 

Fafts  fo  interefting  to  thoufands,  re 
corded  in  this  manner,  in  books  univerfally 
received  as  genuine,  by  thofe  who  muft 
have  known  whether  they  were  fo  or  not, 
have  the  teftimony  not  of  the  writers  only, 

B  b  2  but 


3oo  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

but  of  the  age  in  which  they  were  publifii- 
ed.  In  reality,  the  authenticity  of  the  facts 
recorded  in  the  is  ew  Teftament,  does  not  at 
all  depend  on  the  authenticity  of  the  books; 
for  chriftianity  exifted,  and  had  made  a 
confiderable  fpread,  long  before  any  of 
the  books  were  written.  The  books  were 
not  the  cau/e,  but  the  effeft,  of  the  belief 
of  it.  The  authors  of  thefe  books  were 
not  writers  by  profeffion,  but  only  wrote 
when  neceffity,  in  a  manner,  called  for 
them,  that  is,  when  thofe  who  were  beft 
acquainted  with  the  facts,  were  about  to 
quit  the  ftage,  and  other  perfons  folicited 
their  teftimony  to  them ,  and  this  was  not 
till  about  thirty  years  after  the  death  of 
Chrift,  when  there  were  Chriftians  in  all 
parts  of  the  Roman  empire.  The  epiflles 
of  Paul  were  written  before  that  time;  and 
in  them  we  find  allufions  to  the  ftate  of 
things,  at  the  time  of  his  writing,  and 
their  exact  correfpondence  to  the  hiftory, 
would  be  a  ftrong  confirmation  of  it,  if 
fuch  confirmation  were  wanting. 

7.   In 


REVEALED  RELIGION,  3oi 

7.  In  the  laft  place,  the  miracles  re 
corded  in  the  fcriptures,  produced  a  great 
and  permanent  effedt,  correfponding  to 
their  extraordinary  nature;  which  abun 
dantly  proves  that  they  were  believed  by 
thofe  before  whom  they  were  exhibited, 
or  who  had  an  opportunity  of  informing 
themfelves  concerning  them.  T.  hofe  which 
were  wrought  in  Egypt,  effected  the  deli 
verance  of  the  Ifraelites,  from  their  (late 
of  fervitude  in  that  country,  though  they 
were  then  the  moft  unwarlike,  and  their 
matters  perhaps  the  moft  warlike  people  in 
the  world,  and  exceedingly  defirous  to  de 
tain  them. 

But  what  was  much  more  than  this, 
addidled  as  the  Ifraelites  were  to  the  religi 
ous  rites  of  the  Egyptians,  and  fond  of  fimi- 
lar  rites,  in  the  religions  of  all  the  neigh 
bouring  nations,  fuch  an  impreffion  was 
made  upon  them  by  the  miracles  wrought 
in  their  favour,  and  efpecially  the  delivery 
of  the  lawr  from  mount  Sinai,  that  they 
a&ually  adopted  a  very  complex  fyftem 
of  religion,  the  reverfe  of  any  thing  of 

the 


jo*  THE     EVIDENCES    OF 

the  kind,  to  which  they  had  been  accuf- 
tomed,  and  which  they  were  far  from  being 
predifpofed  to  like,  or  to  receive ;  and  in 
all  their  apoftacies  afterwards,  it  does  not 
appear  that  they  ever  difbelieved  the  facts. 
They  only  thought  they  might  join  the 
worfhip  of  other  gods  with  that  of  their 
own,  at  leaft  with  the  acknowledgment  of 
the  truth  of  their  own,  which  was  then 
the  prevailing  fentiment  of  all  nations, 
who  fcrupled  not  to  admit  the  pretenfions 
of  other  gods  along  with  their  own,  and 
to  join  in  their  worfhip,  efpecially  in  the 
countries  fuppofed  to  be  under  their  imme 
diate  protection,  which  was  the  cafe  with 
refpect  to  the  modes  of  worfhip,  to  which 
the  Ifraelites  fo  often  revolted.  On  the 
other  hand,  it  appears,  that  the  neighbour 
ing  nations  entertained  the  greateft  refpect 
4br  the  God,  and  the  religion,  of  the  If 
raelites,  though  they  did  not  conform  to  it. 
This  was  the  cafe  with  the  Philiftines,  the 
Syrians,  the  Babylonians,  and  the  Perfians; 
as  it  would  be  eafy  to  fhew  by  facts  in 
their  hiftory. 

The 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  303 

The  effed  produced  by  the  miracles 
recorded  in  the  New  Teftament  was  ftill 
more  evident,  becaufe  more  extenfive. 
Many  thoufands  of  the  Jews  became  con 
verts  to  chriftianity  on.  its  firft  promulga 
tion,  notwithflanding  their  extreme  aver- 
fion  to  receive  any  fcheme  of  the  kind, 
from  their  attachment  to  their  antient  re 
ligion,  which  they  thought  to  be  incompa 
tible  with  the  new,  efpecially  after  the 
admiffioii  of  the  Gentiles  into  the  chrifti- 
an  church.  From  this  time,  indeed, 
Jewifh  converts  were  much  lefs  numerous 
than  before,  this  circumftance  fhocking 
their  prejudices  in  a  peculiar  manner. 
Many  of  thofe  who  were  already  chrifti- 
ans  were  exceedingly  offended  at  it. 

But  the  moft  extenfive  effecl  of  the 
miracles  wrought  by  Chrift  and  the  apof- 
tles  was  the  reception  of  chriftianity  by 
the  Gentiles,  attached  as  they  were  to  the 
rites  of  their  antient  religions,  which 
were  enforced  by  the  laws,  and  recom 
mended  by  all  the  learning  and  philofophy 
of  the  age,  and  notwithftanding  the 

preachers 


THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

preachers  of  the  gofpel  laboured  under 
the  greateft  difadvantages,  being  Jews, 
generally  illiterate,  and  deftitute  of  any 
talent  of  public  fpeaking  or  writing,  and 
having  nothing  to  promife  their  converts 
but  happinefs  in  another  world,  with  per- 
fecution  in  this.  Yet  with  all  thefe  difad 
vantages,  in  a  reafonable  fpace  of  time, 
and  exceedingly  fhort,  confidering  the 
magnitude  of  the  event,  a  complete  revo 
lution  was  effected  in  all  the  Roman  em 
pire,  which  at  that  time  comprehended 
almoft  all  the  civilized  part  of  the  world; 
the  heathen  religion  which  had  prevailed 
from  time  immemorial,  being  every 
where  difcredited,  and  new  rites  and 
cuftoms  the  reverfe  of  them,  adopted. 

No  revolution  produced  by  force  of 
arms  can  be  compared  to  this,  which  was. 
effected  without  arms,  by  the  mere  force 
of  truth,  the  evidence  of  which  muft 
have  been  invincibly  ftrong  to  have  pre 
vailed  as  it  did.  Incredulous  as  unbeliev 
ers  now  are,  thoufands,  as  incredulous  as 

they,   and  more  interefted  than  they  can 

be, 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  30$ 

be,  to  difcredit  chriftianity,  became 
converts  to  it;  and  therefore,  though 
they  now  give  little  attention  to  the  evi 
dence,  which  does  not  force  itfelf  upon 
them,,  as  it  did  upon  thofe  who  lived 
nearer  to  the  time  of  the  tranfa&ions, 
had  they  lived  in  thofe  times,  they  might, 
with  the  fame  indifpofition  to  this  religion, 
have  been  unable  to  refift  the  evidence 
with  which  the  publication  of  it  was  ac 
companied.  To  do  themfelves  and  the 
queftion  juftice,  they  fhould  put  them 
felves  in  the  place  of  their  predeceffors, 
confider  how  the  evidence  flood  in  their 
time,  what  was  then  obje&ed  to  chriftiav 
nity  by  men  as  quickfighted  and  as  preju 
diced  as  themfelves,  and  fay  whether  they 
would  abide  by  their  objeftions.  They 
certainly  would  not,  becaufe  they  go  up 
on  quite  different  principles,  and  fuch  as 
all  modern  unbelievers  would  rejeft,  and 
even  with  more  contempt,  than  they  re- 
jeft  chriftianity.  Will  they  now  afcribe 
the  miracles  of  Chrift  and  his  apoftles  to 

the  power  of  magic  ? 

The 


306  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

The  ftate  of  the  argument  very  near 
to  the  promulgation  of  chriftianity  is  eafily 
afcertained,  and  certainly  ought  to  be  par 
ticularly  attended  to.  All  that  the  antient 
unbelievers  objected  to  chriftianity,  has 
been  carefully  collected  by  Dr.  Lardner, 
in  his  excellent  work  on  Jewifh  and  Heathen 
Testimonies,  and  a  fummary  view  of  the 
whole  may  be  feen  in  the  fecond  part  of 
my  Letters  to  a  Philofophical  Unbeliever.  But 
inattention,  joined  to  averfion,  to  any  fubjecl 
will  account  for  any  degree  of  incredulity 
with  relpecT:  to  it.  Several  among  the 
moft  confiderable  unbelievers  in  France 
will  not  admit  that  there  ever  was  any  fuch 
perfon  as  Jefus  Chrift  ;  when  with  more  rea- 
fon  they  might  fay  there  were  never  fuch 
perfons  as  Alexander  the  Great,  or  Julius 
Caefar. 

But  the  greateft  effect  produced  by 
the  miracles  recorded  in  the  New  Tefta- 
ment,  an  effect  far  more  difficult  to  be  ac- 
complifhed  than  any  change  of  opinion.,  or 
fpeculative  principles,  is  from  vice  to  vir 
tue,  which,  however,  was  produced  in 

thoufands. 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  307 

thoufands.  For  this  we  have  the  tefti- 
mony  of  all  hiftory.  Be  not  deceived,  fays 
the  apoflle  Paul,  i  Corin.  vi.  9,  neither 
fornicators,  nor  idolaters,  nor  adulterers, 
nor  effeminate,  nor  abufers  of  themfelves  'with 
mankind,  nor  thieves,  nor  covetous,  nor  drunk 
ards,  nor  revilers,  nor  extortioners,  fball  in 
herit  the  kingdom  of  God.  And  fuch  iv ere  Joint 
of  you.  But  ye  are -wafted,  but  ye  are  fancti- 
fied,  but  ye  are  jujlified  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord  Jefus,  and  by  the  fpirit  of  our  God,  that 
is  by  the  power  of  chriftianity  and  its 
evidences,  commonly  called  the  gift  of 
the  fpirit. 

If  we  compare  the  evidence  of  the 
miracles  recorded  in  the  fcriptures  with 
that  of  any  that  are  mentioned  by  hea 
then  writers,  wre  fhall  foon  be  convinced 
of  the  fuperiority  of  that  of  the  former. 
Mr.  Hume  fays,  that  the  cure  of  the  blind 
and  the  lame  man,  faid  by  Tacitus  and 
Suetonius  to  have  been  performed  by  the 
emperorVefpafian,  at  Alexandria,  is  'one  of 
'  the  beft  attefted  of  any  in  profane  hiftory/ 
and  he  meant,  I  doubt  not,  in  any  hiftory. 

But 


3o8  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

But  this  boafted  miracle  is  not  related  by 
any  perfon  who  was  prefent.  T  he  oldeft 
account  we  have  of  it  being  written  about 
thirty  years  after  the  event.  It  was  not 
exhibited  before  enemies.  Such  cures  as 
thefe  might  eafily  have  been  pretended  by 
perfons  prepared  beforehand.  The  hea 
thens  were  very  credulous  with  refpecT:  to 
things  of  this  kind,  and  the  report  of  thefe 
might  be  very  ufeful  to  procure  credit  to  the 
new  emperor.  There  was  no  fcrutiny  into 
the  truth  of  the  fact  at  the  time.  Indeed 
fuch  fcrutiny  would  have  been  difcounte- 
nanced,  and  not  have  been  very  fafe.  And 
laftly,  the  pretended  miracles  do  not  appear 
to  have  produced  any  effect.  It  is  even  al- 
moft  certain,  that  the  hiftorians  themfelves 
did  not  believe  them.  What  then  muft 
have  been  the  force  of  prejudice  in  a  man 
who  could  think  that  thefe  miracles  were 
better  attefted  than  thofe  of  the  fcrip- 
tures  ? 

Such,  my  brethren,  is  the  outline,  for 
it  is  nothing  more,  of  the  evidence  of  the 
credibility  of  the  miracles  recorded  in  the 

Old 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  309 

Old  and  New  Teftament.  It  is  readily 
acknowledged,  that  the  great  truths  to  be 
proved  by  them,  have  nothing  in  them  in 
credible,  but  on  the  contrary,  are  of  fuch 
a  nature  as  to  be  both  defirable  in  them- 
felves,  and  probable,  a  priori  (confidering 
the  ftate  of  vice  and  igorance  in  which  the 
world  was  involved,  when  deftitute  of 
that  light,  and  confiderirg  the  benevolence 
of  our  common  parent,  who  indeed  per 
mits  all  evils,  but  only  for  a  time,  and 
makes  them  fubfervient  to  good)  they  yet 
require  much  ftronger  evidence  than  ordi 
nary  facls,  in  proportion  to  their  want  of 
analogy  to  fuch  events  as  fall  under  our 
daily  obfervation.  But  notwithftanding 
this,  the»evidence  for  them  is  abundantly 
fufficient  for  the  purpofe.  The  miracles, 
as  I  have  fliewn,  were  fufficiently  numer 
ous,  they  were  performed  on  the  largeft 
fcale,  they  were,  from  their  nature,  free 
from  any  fufpicion  of  trick  and  impofition, 
they  were  exhibited  in  the  prefence  of 
perfons  the  leaft  predifpofed  to  believe 
them,  or  to  be  influenced  by  them ;  they 

were 


3io  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

were  fubjefted  to  the  moft  rigorous  exa 
mination  at  the  time,  and  while  they  were 
recent,  the  written  accounts  of  them  were 
of  the  fame  age  with  the  events  them- 
felves,  and  they  actually  produced  the 
moft  extraordinary  effects ;  which  proves 
that  they  were  fully  affented  to  at  the 
time,  by  thofe  who  had  the  beft  opportu 
nity  of  inquiring  into  the  truth,  and  the 
ftrongeft  motives  for  doing  fo. 

More  than  this  it  is  not  in  the  power 
of  any  perfon  to  require,  and  therefore  it 
is  all  that  is  neceffary  to  the  moft  com 
plete  fatisfaction.  I  mean  of  the  candid 
and  attentive. 

For  there  is  a  ftate  of  mind  in  which 
no  evidence  can  have  any  effect,  as  we  fee 
every  day,  and  we  muft  not  expect  that 
miracles  will  now  be  wrought  for  the  con 
viction  of  any  perfons,  and  leaft  of  all 
miraculous  changes  in  the  difpofitions  of 
men's  minds.  Indeed,  fuch  miracles  as 
thofe  do  not  appear  ever  to  have  been 
wrought.  All  miracles  were  external,  and 
the  reflection  on  them  produced  its  natural 

effect, 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  31 1 

effeft,  on  the  minds  of  thofe  who  gave 
due  attention  to  them;  and  who  werefuit- 
ably  imprefled  with  them. 

As  to  the  proper  time  for  working  mi 
racles,  and  making  this  or  that  age  the 
witnefles  of  them,  and  of  courfe  the  vouch 
ers  of  their  reality  to  others,  it  is  a  queftion 
which  we  muft  acknowledge  we  are  not 
able  to  anfwer.  But  neither  does  it  con 
cern  us  to  anfwer  it,  any  more  than  to 
affign  a  reafon  why  it  pleafed  the  Divine 
Being  to  create  the  world,  or  men  and 
other  animals,  at  one  time  rather  than  ano 
ther,  or  why  he  did  not  malce  more  or 
fewer  planets  to  attend  the  fun,  &c.  &c. 
Of  every  thing  of  this  nature,  he  alone  is 
the  proper  judge.  It  is  enough  for  us  if 
\ve  be  fatisfied,  on  fufficient  evidence,  that 
miracles  have  been  wrought  at  any  time, 
and  if  we  have  been  informed  of  the  pur- 
pofe  for  which  they  were  wrought.  If 
they  wrere  aclually  feen  by  others,  though 
at  ever  fo  great  a  diftance  of  time,  they 
ought,  in  reafon,  to  have  the  fame  effefl; 
as  if  feen  by  ourfelves,  and  we  are  as  in- 

excufable 


3i*  THE    EVDENCES,  &c, 

excufable,  if  we  be  not  as  much  influenced 
by  them.  And  if  God  has  fpoken,  it  can 
not  be  a  matter  of  indifference,  whether 
we  will  attend  to  his  voice  or  not.  In  this 
cafe  I  may  fay,  after  our  Saviour,  tk  that 
bath  cars  to  bear,  let  him  bear. 


•  ' '    '*'**y^ 

. 

-.  ...J.,  •  .     • 


DISCOURSE     XL 

"The  proof  of  Revealed  Religion 
from  Prophecy. 


I  have  even  from  the  beginning  declared  it  unto  thee.  Before 
it  came  to  pals  I  iliewed  it  thee,  left  thou  fhouldeft  fay 
mine  idol  has  done  them,  and  my  graven  image,  and  rny 
molten  image,  have  commanded  them. 

ISAIAH,  xlviii.  <J. 

A  HERE  is  not,  perhaps,  any  thing 
more  exclufively  within  the  province  of  the 
Supreme  Being  than  the  foreknowledge  of 
future  events,  depending  on  the  volitions 
of  men.  For  though  all  things  future 
may  be  faid  to  exift  in  their  caufes, 
which  are  prefent,  thofe  caufes  are  not 
apparent,  and  their  operations  and  com 
binations,  are  fuch  as  no  human  intellect 
can  trace ;  fo  that  to  us  they  are  as  con 
tingent,  and  uncertain,  as  if  the  caufes 
did  not  exift.  They  who  know  mankind 
c  c  in 


THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

in  general,  and  even  particular  perfons, 
the  beft,  can  only  conjecture  how  they 
will  act  in  given  circumftances,  and  are 
often  miftaken;  but  how  they  will  aft  in 
future  time,  when  it  cannot  be  known  in 
what  circumftances  they  will  then  be,  is 
what  no  man  will  pretend  to,  and  this 
ftill  lefs  with  refpecl  to  perfons  then  un 
born.  A  prediction  of  a  future  and 
diftant  event,  depending  on  the  voluntary 
actions  of  men,  has  therefore  the  effect  of 
a  miracle  of  the  moft  indifputable  kind. 
Now  many  fuch  are  recorded  in  the  fcrip- 
tures,  and  confequently  ought  to  be  enu 
merated  among  the  cleareft  proofs  of  their 
divine  authority,  and  of  the  truth  of  die 
religion  they  contain.  For  this  reafon  I 
lhall  make  them  the  fubjeci  of  this  dif- 
courfe,  fhe\ving,  from  the  circumftauces 
of  the  predictions,  that  they  are  not  lia 
ble  to  any  juft  fufpicion  of  impofture, 
that  in  this  refpect  they  were  the  reverfe  of 
the  oracles  of  the  heathens,  and  that  they 
;  been  clearly  verified  by  die  events* 

There 


REVEALED    REL1GIOX.  31$ 

There  were  two  ways  in  which  the 
knowledge  of  future  events  was  commu 
nicated  to  the  Hebrews,  One  was  by 
confuiting  the  oracle,  as  it  may  be  called, 
when  anfwers  to  particular  queftions  were 
given  to  the  high-prieft ;  and  the  other 
by  prophets,  who  were  raifed  up  from 
time  to  time  to  fpeak  to  the  people  in  the 
name  of  God.  I  fhall  confider  the  cir- 
cumftances  of  both. 

i.  The  regular  method  of  confuiting 
the  divine  oracle,  called  inquiring  of  the 
Lordy  was  by  the  chief  magiftrate  attend 
ing  in  the  fanchiary  along  with  the  high- 
prieft  in  his  proper  veftments,  directing 
him  what  queftions  to  put;  when  the  an 
fwers  were  equally  heard  by  them  both. 
Thus  when  Jofhua  was  appointed  to  fuc- 
ceed  Mofes,  it  is  faid,  Num.  xxvii.  26. 
And  be  frail  Jlaud  bj  Elzazar  the  prie/1,  ivho 
ail  afi  council  for  fam,  after  the  judgment  of 
Urim,  before  the  Lord.  From  this  it  is  ob 
vious,  that  it  was  not  in  the  power  of  the 
high-prieft  to  impofe  upon  the  country 
'^at  he  thought  proper,  as  a  divine  ora- 
r  c  2  cle. 


3i6  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

cle.  It  does  not  even  appear  that  he 
ever  went  of  his  own  accord  to  confult 
the  oracle,  but  only  when  required  to  do 
fo  by  the  civil  magiftrate,  who  attended 
along  with  him,  and  heard  the  anfwer  as 
well  as  himfelf.  Of  this  we  have  feveral 
examples  in  the  courfe  of  the  fcripture 
hiftory.  Indeed,  it  is  evident  from  the 
whole  hiftory  of  the  Hebrews,  that  nei 
ther  by  this,  nor  by  any  other  means,  was 
it  in  the  power  of  the  priefts  to  acquire 
any  more  authority  than  was  given  them 
in  the  original  conftitution. 

If  this  had  been  the  cafe,  they  would 
always  have  preferved  their  fuperiority 
over  any  occaflonal  prophet,  whofe  claim 
to  refpect  interfered  writh  theirs.  How, 
for  example,  could  it  be  fuppofed  that  the 
old  high-prieft  Eli  would  eafily  have  ac- 
quiefced  in  the  divine  communications 
made  to  the  child  Samuel,  which  contain 
ed  the  heavieft  denunciations  againft  him 
felf  and  his  family  ?  But  inftead  of  contra 
dicting  them,  though  delivered  by  a  mere 
child,  he,  with  the  greateft  refignation, 

replied, 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  31; 

replied,  It  is  the  Lord,  let  him  do  ivhat  feemetb 
him  good.  Surely  here  was  no  prieftcraft. 
Neither  under  the  judges,  nor  under  the 
kings,  did  any  high-prieft  acquire  the 
fmalleft  addition  to  his  civil  power,  or  to 
his  emolument. 

2.  The  Hebrew  oracle  appears  to  have 
been  acceifible  at  all  times  alike ;  which  was 
not  the  cafe  with  the  oracles  of  Greece. 
That  at  Delphi  could  only  be  confulted 
during  one  particular  month  in  the  year, 
which  was  in  the  fpring;  and,  as  it  fhould 
feem,  only  on  a  few  flated  days  in  that 
month.  At  other  times,  as  we  are  inform 
ed,  the  greateft  princes  could  not  by  any 
means  obtain  an  anfwer.  This  certainly 
gave  the  heathen  priefts  a  better  opportu 
nity  of  knowing  what  queftions  were  like 
ly  to  be  propofed,  and  of  being  prepared 
with  the  anfwer s. 

3.  Noexpence  attended  the  confultation 
of  the  Hebrew  oracle,  fo  that  the  priefts 
could  not  derive  any  emolument  from  it; 
whereas  the  confulting  of  the  Grecian  ora 
cles  was  fo  very  expenfrve,  on  account  of 

the 


3i8  THE     EVIDENCES    OF 

the  facrifiees  that  were  to  be  offered,  and 
-the  prefents  that  were  expefted  on  the  oc- 
cafion,  that  only  the  great  and  the  wealthy 
could  have  accefs  to  them.  The  riches  of 
which  the  temple  of  Delphi  was  poffefled, 
from  the  donations  of  opulent  princes, 
fuch  as  Craefus  king  of  Lydia,  were  im- 
menfe;  but  it  does  not  appear  that  either 
the  tabernacle,  or  the  temple,  of  the  If- 
raelites,  gained  any  thing  by  this  means. 

4.  Nothing  was  done  to  overawe  the 
perfons  who  confulted  the  Hebrew  oracle; 
or  to  affect  their  imaginations,  fo  as  to 
prepare  them  to  receive  whatever  anfwers 
the  prieft,  who  directed  the  oracle,  might 
fuggeft;  which  was  the  cafe  more  or  lefs, 
with  all  the  Grecian  oracles,  but  efpecially 
that  of  Trophonius.  The  perfon  who  con 
fulted  this  oracle  went  into  a  cavern,  and 
and  not  immediately,  on  his  prefenting 
himfelf,  but  after  much  folemn  prepartion.* 

*  In  this  time  all  his  food  was  the  remains  of  facrifiees, 
and  he  was  not  permitted  to  bathe.  After  this  he  was  waflied 
by  boys  .of  thirteen  years  of  age,  and  when  this  was  done,  he 
drank  of  two  waters,,  one  of  oblivion,  and  the  other  of  re 
membrance,  and  before  he  entered  the  cavern  he  was  brought 


REVEALED      RELIGION.  319 

Such  were  the  marks  of  terror  and 
melancholy  with  which  perfons  tifually 
came  out  of  this  cavern,  that  when  any 
perfon  was  unufuallj  dejected,  they  faid  he 
looked  as  if  he  had  been  confulting  the 
oracle  of  Trophonius. 

5.  The  anfwer  of  the  Hebrew  oracle 
was  always  delivered  in  an  articulate  voice, 
which  was  not  liable  to  inifconftrudlion; 
whereas  all  the  Grecian  oracles,  except 
that  of  Apollo,  gave  their  anfwers  in  a 
different  manner>  as  by  dreams,  the  flight 

of 

to  a  certain  ftatue,  before  which  he  made  fome  prayers. 
Being  then  conducted  to  the  mouth  of  the  cavern,  he  de- 
fcended  by  a  ladder,  which  he  brought  with  him  for  the 
purpofe.  At.  the  bottom  of  this  defcent  he  came  to  a  nar 
row  paflage,  through  which  he  was  required  to  thruft  himfelf 
with  his  feet  foremoft;  but  during  this  he  was  forcibly  drag 
ged  along  till  he  came  to  the  place  where  he  was  to  wait  ioi 
his  anfwer,  which  was  fometimes  given  in  words,  and  fome- 
thnes  only  by  appearances  of  various  kinds.  After  this,  which 
fometimes  detained  him  more  than  a  day.  he  returned 
through  the  narrow  pafTage  in  the  fame  manner  as  before, 
viz.  with  his  feet  foremoft.  The  priefts  then  placed  him  on 
a  kind  of  throne,  and  inquired  of  him  what  he  had  heard 
or  feen,  and  they  made  the  report  to  others,  who  then  car 
ried  him,  commonly  in  a  ffate  of  ftupefaction,  with  terror 
and  aftonifhment,  to  the  chapel  ef  good  genius,  and  of 

good 


320  TfJE    EVIDENCES    OF 

of  birds,  or  the  entrails  of  beafts,  &c.  &c. 
At  Pherae,  a  city  of  Achaia,  there  was  an 
oracle  of  Mercury,  where  the  perfon  who 
confulted  it,  after  making  the  proper  fa- 
crifices  and  offerings,  propofed  his  quef- 
tion;  and  in  order  to  get  an  anfwer  to  it, 
walked  with  his  ears  flopped  by  his  hands, 
through  the  market-place,  and  then  re 
moving  them,  took  the  firft  words  that  he 
happened  to  hear  for  the  anfwer  of  the 
oracle.  At  another  oracle  in  Achaia,  the 
anfwer  was  given  by  throwing  dice,  in- 
fcribed  with  particular  chara&ers,  which 
the  priefts  interpreted.  At  another  place 

in 


good  fortune,  where  after  fome  time  he  recovered  his  fenfes 
and  cheerfulnefs.  This  account  is  given  by  Paufanias,  an 
eminent  Greek  writer,  who  fays  that  he  had  himfelf  con- 
fulted  this  oracle. 

Another  perfon,  of  whom  Plutarch  gives  an  account, 
was  detained  two  days  and  nights  in  this  cavern,  and  when 
be  came  out  he  gave  an  account  of  many  ftrange  fights  thg£ 
he  had  feen,  and  frightful  founds  that  he  had  heard,  refem- 
bling  the  yellings  and  howlings  of  wild  beafts,  as  well  as  a 
difcourfe  that  was  delivered  to  him.  Who  does  not  fee 
that  it  was  in  the  power  of  the  priefts  to  conduifl  all  this 
machinery  juft  as  they  pleafed,  taking  advantage  of  the 
terror  which  was  unavoidable  in  thefe  circumftances  ? 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  321 

in  the  fame  country,  the  anfwer  of  the 
oracle,  which  was  only  given  to  queftions 
relating  to  ficknefs,  was  given  by  letting 
down  a  mirror  into  a  fountain,  and  ob- 
ferving  the  figures  and  images  on  its  fur- 
face. 

6.  There  was  no  ambiguity  in  the  an 
fwer  given  by  the  Hebrew  oracle.  It 
was  always  plain  and  direct,  not  capable 
of  two  conftrucTions,  of  which  the  priefts 
might  avail  themfelves  on  comparing  it 
with  the  event,  as  was  remarkably  the 
cafe  with  relpecl  to  many  of  the  an- 
iwers  returned  by  the  Grecian  oracles, 
even  that  of  Apollo  at  Delphi,  which, 
however,  was  celebrated  for  the  compa 
rative  perfpicuity  of  its  anfwers.  Two 
of  thefe  anfwers  are  particularly  mention 
ed  by  Herodotus. 

When  the  Lacedemonians  inquired  of 
the  oracle  whether  they  fhould  fucceed 
in  their  attempt  to  conquer  all  Arcadia, 
they  received  for  anfwer,  they  fliould  not, 
but  that  he  would  give  them  Tegca,  which 

was 


322,  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

was  very  fruitful,  and  which  they  fliould 
meafure  with  a  line.  On  this  they  had  no 
doubt  but  that  they  fhould  gain  the  poffef- 
fioft  of  it ;  but  being  defeated  in  battle, 
many  of  the  Lacedemonians  were  made 
prifoners,  and  compelled  to  cultivate  the 
ground  for  their  conquerors;  and  in  doing 
this,  they  made  ufe  of  a  line  -to  meafure 
it,  which  was  deemed  to  be  a  fulfilment 
of  the  oracle.  Again,  when  Craefus  con- 
fulted  the  fame  oracle,  on  his  engaging  in 
a  war  with  Cyrus,  he  received  for  anfwer, 
that  if  he  did,  he  fhould  overturn  a  great 
empire,  and  that  the  Perfians  would  not 
conquer  him  until  they  had  a  mule  for 
their  prince.  Being  conquered,  and  lofing 
his  empire,  he  fent  to  upbraid  the  oracle 
for  deceiving  him,  but  he  was  anfwered, 
that  the  empire  that  was  to  be  overturned 
was  his  own,  and  that  Cyrus  being  de- 
fcended  from  a  Perfian  father,  and  a  Me 
dian  mother,  was  the  mule  intended  by 
the  oracle. 

The   Hebrew  oracle    never   returned 
fuch  anfwers  as  thefe,  but  always  fuch  as 

were 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  323 

were  direc\  and  perfe&ly  intelligible. 
The  divine  oracle  fubfifled,  though  in 
fome  different  manner,  before  the  time  of 
Mofes.  For  we  read  that  Rebecca,  when 
ftie  found  herfelf  with  child,  and  felt  a 
violent  motion  in  her  womb,  inquired  of 
the  Lord,  and  received  the  following  an- 
fwer,  Gen.  xxv.  23,  Two  nations  are  in  thy 
womb,  and  two  manner  of  people  ft  all  be  fepa- 
rated  from  thy  bowels.  The  one  Jhall  be  Jtronger 
than  the  other,  and  the  elder  Jhall  Jerve  the 
younger. 

When  the  oracle  was  confulted  after 
the  death  of  Joihua,  we  read,  Jud.  i.  i. 
Then  IJrael  afked  the  Lord,  faying,  Wrho  Jball 
go  up,  for  us  againjl  the  Canaanites  firft,  to 
fght  againft  them,  Jehovah  faid  Judab Jhall  go 
up,  behold  I  have  delivered  the  land  into  his 
hand.  David,  in  the  courfe  of  his  life, 
received  feveral  anfwers  from  the  oracle, 
one  of  which  was  very  particular.  The 
Philiftines  fpreading  themfelves,  as  we 
read,  2  Sam.  v.  23.  in  the  valley  of 
Rephaim,  when  David  inquired  of  the 

Lord, 


324  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

Lord,  he  faid,  Thoujhalt  not  go  up,  but  fetcb 
a  compafs  behind  them,  and  come  upon  them  over 
againft  tbe  mulberry  trees;  and  let  it  be  'when 
tljou  hear  eft  the  found  of  a  marching  in  the  top 
of  the  mulberry  trees,  that  then  thou  Jk  alt  bejtir 
thyfelf,  for  then  Jhall  the  Lord  go  out  before  tbee 
to  frnite  the  hoft  of  the  Philiftines.  We  have 
no  account  of  any  other  anfvver  from  this 
oracle,  that  was  not  equally  plain,  and  free 
from  ambiguity. 

All  the  directions  and  predictions  that 
were  occafionally  delivered  by  the  God  of 
Ifrael,  or  by  angels  commifDoiied  by  him, 
were  equally  clear  and  intelligible.  Such 
was  the  original  command  given  to  Abra 
ham,  Gen.  xii.  I.  *  Get  thee  out  of  thy 
'  country,  and  from  thy  kindred,  and  from 
'  thy  father's  houfe,  unto  a  land  that  I  will 
'  Ihew  thee,  and  I  will  make  of  thee  a 

*  great  nation,  and  thou  flialt  be  ablefling.' 
fuch  was  the  meflage  to  Hagar  when  Ihe 
fled  from  her  miftrefs,   Genefis.  xvi.  n. 
'  And  the  angel  of  the  Lord  faid  unto  her, 

*  Behold    thou  art  with  child,    and   fhalt 

bear 


REVEALED    'RELIGION.  325 

<  bear  a  fon,   and  call  his  name  Ilhmael, 

*  and  he  will  be  a  wild  man;  his  hand  will 

*  be   againft   every  man,   and  every  man's 

*  hand  againft  him,   and  he  fhall  dwell  in 

<  the  prefence  of  all  his  brethren/    A  pre 
diction    which  has  been  exactly  verified  in 
the  general  character,  and  hiftory,   of  the 
Arabs,    who  are  defcended  from  Iftimael, 
to  this  very  day.      All  the  commands  of 
God  to  Mofes  were  perfpicuous,   and  free 
from    ambiguity  ;    and   fo    were   all    the 
divine  communications  without  any  excep 
tion. 

Sometimes  communications  were  made- 
in  dreams,  and  by  means  of  emblems; 
but  the  interpretations  were  given  in  the 
moft  intelligible  language.  Thus  Jofeph 
in  the  interpretation  of  their  refpedive 
dreams,  told  Pharoah's  baker,  that  after 
three  days  he  would  be  hanged,  and  that 
the  butler  would  at  the  fame  time  be  re- 
ftored  to  his  office ;  and  he  told  Pharoah 
that  the  next  feven  years  would  be  years 
of  unufual  plenty,  but  would  be  followed 
by  feven  years  of  famine.  The  prophetic 
dreams  of  Nebuchadnezzar  were  inter 
preted 


426  THE    EVIDENCES    Of 

preted  with  the  fame  diftin&nefs  by  Da 
niel,  and  Daniel's  own  dreams  by  an 
angel. 

Befides  the  regular  oracle,  to  which 
the  Ifraelites  had  accefs  on  particular  emer^ 
gencies,  God  was  pleafed  to  fend  to  that 
nation  a  fucceffion  of  prophets,  and  they 
all  delivered  their  meiTages  in  the  plainefl 
language,  as  became  the  meflengers  of 
God.  The  greateft,  and  ftriftly  fpeak- 
ing,  the  firft,  of  thefe  prophets,  was 
Mofes;  and  nothing  could  be  more  dif- 
tinft  and  intelligible  than  the  manner  in 
which  he  always  ipake  in  the  name  of 
God,  on  a  great  variety  of  occafions ; 
and  he  was  informed  that  there  would  be 
a  fucceffion  of  prophets,  like  himfelf,  Deut. 
xviii.  1 8.  'I  will  raife  them  up  a  prophet 
*  among  their  brethren,  like  unto  thee, 
6  and  will  put  my  words  in  his  mouth, 

<  and  he  fliall  fpeak  unto  them  all  that  I 

<  command  him.' 

An  example  of  this  we  have  in  the 
meffage  which  the  prophet  Ahijah  was  di 
rected  to  deliver  to  Jerufalem,  of  which 

we 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  3a;. 

we  have  an  account  i  Kings,  xi.  29.  '  And 

*  it  came  to  pafs  at  that  time,   when  Je- 
6  roboam  went  out  of  Jerufalem/   (which 
was  in  the  reign  of  Solomon,)    <  that  the 

*  prophet    Ahijah  the  Shilonite  found  him 

*  hi  the  way,  and  he  clad  himfelf  in  a  new 
'  garment,    and   they  two   were  alone  in 
'  the  field.      And  Ahijah  caught  the  new 

*  garment  that  was  on  him,   and  rent  it  in 
:  twelve  pieces.      And  he  faid  to  Jerobo- 
'  am,    Take    thee  ten  pieces.      For  thus 
'  faith  the    Lord,   the  God  of  Ifrael.   Be- 

*  hold  I  will  rend  the  kingdom  out  of  the 

*  hand    of   Solomon,    and    will  give    ten 

*  tribes  to   thee,    becaufe  they  have  for- 
<  faken  me,    and  have  worfhipped  A  flit  a- 
'  roth,   the  goddefs  of  the  Sidonians,  Che- 
c  mofh  the  god  of  the  Moabites,    and  Mil- 

*  com  the  god  of  the  children  of  Ammon, 

*  and  have  not  wralked  in  my  way,   to  do 

*  that  which  is  right  in  mine  eyes,   to  keep 
4  my  ftatutes    and  my  judgments,   as  did 

*  David  his  father.      Howbeit,  I  will  not 

*  take  the  whole  kingdom  out  of  his  hand, 

*  but    I  will  make   him  a  prince  all    the 

'  days 


328-  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

*  days  of  his  life,  for  my  fervant  David's 
'  fake,    whom  I  chofe,    becaufe    he  kept 

*  my    commandments     and    my   ftatutes: 

*  but  I  will  take  the  kingdom  out  of  his 
6  fon's   hand,    and  will  give  it  unto  thee, 

*  even  ten  tribes,  &c.'    In  the  fame  plain 
and  direct  manner,    did  all  the    prophets 
deliver    themfelves ;    as   Elijah   to    Ahab, 
Ifaiahto  Ahaz,*  and  Hezekiah,  and  Jere 
miah  to  Zedekiah.      With  the  fame   dif- 
tin&nefs  did   our  Saviour  deliver  his  pro 
phecy  concerning  the  deftruclion  of  Jeru- 
falem,  the  demolition  of  the  temple,  and 
the  defolation  of  Judea. 

Let  this  be  compared  with  the  manner 
in  which  the  pretended  prophets  among 

the 


*  Mr.  Paine  charges  Ifaiah  with  being  a  falfe  prophet  in 
what  he  announced  to  Ahaz,  concerning  the  invafion  of 
his  kingdom  by  Rezin  king  of  Syria,  and  Pekah  king  of 
Ifrael,  which  was  as  follows.  Ifaih  vii.  i,  '  And  it  came 
4  to  pafs  in  the  days  of  Ahaz,  the  fon  of  Jotham  king  of 

*  Judah,  that  Rezin  the  king  of  Syria,  and  Pekah  the  fon  of 
6  Remaliah,  king  of  Ifrael,  went  up  towards  Jerufalem  to  war 
4  againft  it,  but  could  not  prevail  againft  it.     And  it  was  told 

*  the  houfe  of  David,  faying,  Syria  is  confederate  with  Eph- 
6  raim;  and   his  heart  was  moved  as  the  trees  of  the  wood 
'  are  moved  with  the  wind.     Then  faid  the  Lord  unto  Ifaiah, 

'Go 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  329 

the  heathens  delivered  themfelves.  It  was 
always  in  a  kind  of  rnadnefs,  or  ecftafy,  to 
give  the  appearance  of  fome  other  being 
than  themfelves  fpeaking  from  within  them, 
or  making  ufe  of  their  organs.  When 
the  pythonefs  at  Delphi  delivered  the  ora 
cle,  with  which  flie  was  fuppofed  to  be 
infpired,  flie  began  to  fwell  and  foam  at  the 
mouth,  tearing  her  hair,  cutting  her  fleih, 

and 

*  Go  forth  now  to  meet  Ahaz,  thou  and  Shear- Jamub  thy 
'  Ton,  at  the  end  of  the  conduit  of  the  upper  pool,  in  the 

*  high  way  of  the  Fullers  field,  and  fay  unto  him,  Take  heed 

*  and  be  quiet,  fear  not,  neither  be  faint-hearted,  for  the  two 

*  tails  of  thefe  {moking  firebrands,  for  the  fierce  anger  of 
4  Rezin  with  Syria,  and  of  the  fon  of  Remaliah,   becaufe 

*  Syria,  Ephraim,  and  the  fon  of  : Remaliah  have  taken  evil 

*  council  againft  thee,  faying,  Let  us  go  up  againft  Judah 
4  and  vex  it,  and  let  us  make  a  king  in  the  midft  of  it,  even 
1  the  fon  of  Tabeal.     Thus  faith  the  Lord  God,  it  mall  not 
<  ftantf, .  neither  fliall  it  come  to  pafs.'     He  farther  allured 
him  that  before  a  child  that  was  foon  to  be  born  could  dif- 
tinguifli  between  good  and  evil,  the  countries  of  his  enemies 
would  be  'forfaken  of  both  their  kings.' 

On  this  Mr.  Paine  fays,  p.  47,  '-To  mew  the  impofition  and 
4  falfehood  of  Ifaiah,  we  have  only  to  attend  to  the  fequel  of 
'  this  ftory,  which,  though  it  is  pafTed  over  in  filence  in  the 

*  book  of  Ifaiah,  is  related  in  the  2Oth  chapter  of  2  Chronicles, 

*  and  which  is,    that,  inftead  of  thefe  two  kings  falling  in 
4  their  attempt  againfl  Ahaz  king  of  Judah,  as  Ifaiah  had 
'  pretended  to  foretel  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  they  fuc- 

ceeded, 

od 


330  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

and  in  all  her  behaviour  appearing  as  if 
diftrafted.  One  of  them  was  at  one  timefo 
enraged,  that  (he  terrified  not  only  thofe 
who  confulted  the  oracle,  but  the  priefts 
themfelves,  fo  that  they  ran  away  and  left 
her,  and  foon  after  fhe  died.  Others, 
who  were  fuppofed  to  pry  into  futurity, 
lay  like  dead  men,  deprived  of  all  fenfe 
and  motion,  and  when  they  returned  to 

themfelves, 

*ceeded.     Ahaz  was  defeated  and  deftroyed,  an  hundred 
'  and  twenty  thoufand  of  his  people  were  flaughtered,  Jeru- 

*  falem  was  plundered,  and  two  hundred  thoufand  women, 
'  and  fons  and  daughters,  were  carried  into  captivity.   Thus 

*  much  for  this  lying  prophet  and  impoftor  Ifaiah,  and  the 
'  book  of  falfehoods  that  bears  his  name.' 

Such  is  the  charge,  but  the  defence  is  extremely  eafy. 
The  calamity  which  Mr.  Paine,  with  much  exaggeration 
defcribes,  was  in  the  beginning  of  the  reign  of  Ahaz,  before 
the  prophecy  was  delivered.  For  it  commenced  about  the 
death  of  Jotham  his  predeceflbr.  After  reciting  the  events 
of  the  reign  of  Jotham,  the  hiftorian  fays,  2  Kings,  xv.  3  7, 

*  In  thefe  days  the  Lord  began  to  fendagainft  Judah,  Rezin 
1  the  king  of  Syria,  and  Pekah  the  fon  of  Remaliah.     And 

*  Jotham  flept  with  his   fathers,  and  Ahaz  his  fon  reigned 
4  in  his  ftead.' 

This  calamity,  great  as  it  was,  by  no  means  extended 
fo  far  as  Mr.  Paine  afTerts.  For  Jerufalem  was  fo  far  from 
being  plundered,  that  it  is  exprefsly  faid,  2  Kings,  xvi.  £. 

*  That  theie  two  kings  came  up  to  Jerufalem  to  war,  and 
'  they  befkged  Ahaz,  but  they  could  not  overcome  him.' 

Agreeably 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  331 

themfelves,  they  related  what  they  had 
feen  and  heard.  For  it  was  their  opinion 
that  the  foul  might  leave  the  body,  wan 
der  up  and  down  the  world,  vifit  the  re 
gions  of  the  dead,  and  even  converfe  with 
gods  and  heroes.  Plutarch  relates  that 
while  the  foul  of  one  Hermodorus  of  Cla- 
zomenae  was  thus  out  of  his  body,  a  wo 
man  who  had  the  cuftody  of  it,  delivered 
it  to  his  enemies,  who  burned  it* 


Agreeably  to  this,  Ifaiah  fays  *  they  went  up  towards  Jeruia- 

*  lem,  to  war  againft  it,  but  could  not  prevail  againft  it.'    And 
fo  far  were  they  from  being  able  to  dethrone  Ahaz,  and  fet 
up  another  king,  the  fon  of  Tabeal,  that  Ahaz  reigned  fixteen 
years,  and  in  the  fourth  year  of  his  reign  Pekah  king  of  If- 
rael  was  flain  in  a  confpiracy  of  his  own  fubjeft,  i.  Kings, 
xv.  30.   and  about  the  fame  time  an  end  was  put  ^o  the 
kingdom  of  Syria  by  Tiglath  Pilefer  king  of  Aflyria  taking 
Damafcus,  whither  Ahaz  went  to  meet  him. 

Mr.  Paine  takes  advantage  of  the  figurative  and  no  doubt 
hyperbolical  language  of  the  prophet  Ezekiel,  in  his  ac 
count  of  the  defolation  of  Egypt  during  forty  years  after  the 
conqueft  of  the  country  by  Nebuchadnezzar,  chap.  xxix.  n. 

*  that  no  foot  of  man  or  of  beaft  (bould  pafs  through  it.' 
We  have  no  particular  account  of  the  flate  of  Egypt  in 
this  interval,  but  the  civil  war  between  Apries  or  Pharoah 
Hophra  and  Amafis,  which  followed  the  devaluation  made 
by  Nebuchadnezzar,  muft  have  made  travelling  particularly 
hazardous. 

E>  d  2  The 


33*  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

The  delivery  of  prophecies  in  a  fran 
tic  manner,  as  if  the  prophet  was  poflefled 
by  fome  demon,  is  ftill  praclifed  in  feve- 
ral  barbarous  nations,  as  in  Tartary,  and 
among  the  Indians  of  fome  parts  of  Ame 
rica,  of  which  travellers  give  amufmg 
accounts.  In  facl,  when  the  Grecian  ora 
cles  were  inftituted,  that  nation  had  as 
little  knowledge  as  the  Tartars,  or  In 
dians.  At  this  day  the  random  fayings  of 
ideots,  and  perfons  difordered  in  their 
fenfes,  are  catched  up  in  the  Eaft,  as  if 
they  came  from  the  infpiration  of  fome 
fuperior  being. 

But  the  principal  queftion  before  us  is, 
not  in  what  manner  prophecies  were  de 
livered,  but  whether  predictions  faid  to 
come  from  God,  and,  as  fuch,  recorded  in 
fcripture  have  been  verified  by  the  events. 
And  to  this  the  Divine  Being  himfelf  ap 
peals.  When  the  fucceffion  of  prophets 
mentioned  above  was  announced  to  Mofes, 
he  fays,  Deut.  xviii.  21,  'If  thou  fhalt 
'  fay  in  thine  heart,  how  fhall  we  know 
6  the  word  which  the  Lord  hath  not  fpoken? 

'  it 


REVEALED  RELIGION.  333 

it  is  anfwered,  «  When  a  prophet  fpeaketh 
'  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  if  the  thing 
'  follow  not,  nor  come  to  pafs,  this  is 

<  the     thing    which    the    Lord   hath    not 

*  fpoken,  but  the  prophet  hath  fpoken  pre- 

<  fumptuoufly.      Thou  fhaJt  not  be  afraid 

*  of  him.'      And  on  this  fubjecl  it  is  that 
Jehovah  challenges  the  gods  of  the  hea 
thens,  in   Ifaiah  xli.  21,    '  Produce  your 
'  caufe,   faith  the  Lord,   bring  forth  your 
'  ftrong  reafons,  faith  the  God  of  Jacob. 

*  Let  them  bring  them  forth,  and  fhew  us 
'  what  lhall  happen.      Let  them  fhew  for- 

*  mer  things  what  they  be,    that  we  may 
'  confider  them,   and  know  the  latter  end 

*  of  them,    or  declare  us   things   for   to 

*  come.       Shew  the    things    that   are    to 

*  come  hereafter,  that  we  may  know  that 

*  ye  are  gods.'      This  is  what  no  heathen 
oracle  or  prophet  could  do.     But  the  fcrip- 
tures  abound  with  prophecies  which  have 
indifputably  been  verified  by  the  events, 
and  in  fome  cafes,  at  a  great  diftance  from 
the  time  of  their  delivery. 

There 


$34  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

There  are   few  prophecies  more  re 
markable  than  thofe  of  Mofes,   which  ex 
tend  even  to  the  prefent  times,  and  indeed 
far  beyond  them.      When  his  nation  was 
in  a  ftate  little  better  than  that  of  the  wild 
Arabs,  wandering  in  the  wildernefs;  he  not 
only  looked  forward  to  their  certainly  tak 
ing  pofleffion  of  the  land  of  Canaan,   then 
inhabited  by  a  warlike  people,   who  had 
horfes  and  chariots  of  iron,   and  whofe  ci 
ties  are  faid  to  have  been  fenced  up  to 
heaven,  and  who  had  many  years  notice  of 
the  intended  attack  upon  them,  when  none 
of  the  Ifraelites  had  feen  war,   when  they 
were  poorly  provided  with  weapons,   and 
could  only  fight  on  foot,   and  muft  have 
been  wholly  unacquainted  with  the  method 
of  attacking  fortified  places;  but  he  fore 
told   their   apoftacy   from    their    religion, 
their   confequent  expulfion  from  the  land 
of  Canaan,    their    difperfion  into   all   the 
moft  diftant  parts  of  the  world,  their  cruel 
fufferings,  and  contemptuous  treatment,  in 
thofe   countries,  of  which  we  near  three 
thoufand  years  after  the  prediction,  are  now 

witnefles, 


REVEALED    RELIGION,  335 

witnefles,  their  fubfifting,  notwithstanding 
this,  as  a  feparate  people,  of  which  alfo 
we  are  witnefles,  and  likewife  their  final 
reftoration,  and  refettlement  in  their  own 
country,  when  they  are  to  be  the  moft 
diftinguilhed  of  all  nations.  But  I  do  not 
enlarge  on  this  fubjeft,  becaufe  I  have  done 
it  already,  in  a  difcourfe  which  is  before 
the  public. 

There  is  no  nation  bordering  on  the 
land  of  Canaan,  whofe  future  deftiny  was 
not  foretold  by  fome  of  the  Hebrew  pro 
phets,  and  there  is  no  pretence  for  faying 
that  the  predictions  were  written  after  the 
events.  For  the  accomplifhment  of  feve- 
ral  of  them  is  quite  recent;  whereas  the 
books  have  been  extant  between  two 
and  three  thoufand  years.  I  fhall  confine 
myfelf  to  thofe  concerning  Egypt,  Baby 
lon,  and  Tyre,  with  iome  obfervations  on 
the  prophecies  of  Daniel. 

i .  The  Egyptians  were  the  firft  nation 
that  rofe  to  any  great  degree  of  power, 
and  they  continued  in  the  firft  rank  of 
.warlike  people,  till  they  were  conquered 

by 


336  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

by  Nebuchadnezzar.  But  feveral  years  be 
fore  that  conqueft,  viz.  in  the  tenth  year 
Of  the  captivity  of  Jehoiakim,  three  years 
before  he  undertook  the  fiege  of  Tyre, 
and  fourteen  before  his  invafion  of  Egypt, 
the  word  of  the  Lord  came  to  Ezekiel,  as  we 
read,  Ez.  xxix.  i.  &c.  faying,  Son  of  man, 
fet  thy  Jace  again  ft  Pharoah  king  oj  Egypt,  and 
prophecy  againft  him,  and  againft  all  Egypt. 
Speak  and  fay,  Thus  faith  the  Lord  God,  Be- 
hold  I  am  againft  thee  Pharaoh  king  of  Egypt, 
the  great  dragon  that  lieth  in  the  midft  of  his  ri 
vers,  who  has  faid,  My  river  is  my  own,  and 
I  have  made  it  for  myfelf*.  But  I  will  put 
heoks  in  thy  jaws,  and  I  will  bring  tfjee  up  out 
of  the  midft  of  thy  rivers.  And  I  will  leave 
thee  thrown  into  the  wildernefs.  I  have  given 
thee  for  meat  to  the  beafts  of  the  field,  and  to 
the  fowls  of  heaven,  and  all  the  inhabitants  of 
Egypt  fhall  know  that  I  am  the  Lord,  becauje 
they  have  been  a  ftajffof  reed  to  the  houfe  of  If- 

raeL 


*  This  king  of  Egypt  Pharaoh  Hophra  (called  Apries  by 
Herodotus)  was  remarkable  for  his  pride  and  impiety.  Ac 
cording  to  this  biftorian,  he  boafted  that  it  was  not  in  the 
power  of  the  gods  to  dethrone  him. 


REVEALED  "RELIGION.  337 

rael.  Tims  faith  the  Lord  God,  I  'will  bring  a 
fword  upon  Thee,  and  cut  off'  man  and  beaft  out 
of  thee,  and  the  land  of  Egypt  Jkall  be.  defolate 
and  -wafte,  and  they  Jhall  know  that  I  am  the 
Lord.  He  then  foretels  a  ftate  of  defolation, 
which  was  to  continue  in  Egypt  forty 
years,  after  which  he  fays,  v.  14.  15.  they 
/hall  be  a  bafe  kingdom.  It  /hall  be  the  bafe/l 
of  the  kingdoms ,  neither  flail  it  exalt  itfelf  any 
more  above  the  nations,  for  I  'will  diminift  them, 
that  they  /hall  no  more  rule  over  the  nations. 

A  Ihort  time  before  Nebuchadnezzar's 
expedition,  Ezekiel  again  prophefied  as 
follows,  Chap.  xxx.  10.  J  ivill  alfo  make 
the  multitude  of  Egypt  to  ceafe  by  the  hand  of 
Nebuchadnezzar  king  of  Babylon,  he  and  his  peo 
ple  with  him.  The  terrible  of  the  nations  flail 
be  brought  to  dejlroy  the  land,  and  they  flail 
dra-w  their  fwords  again/I  Egypt,  and  jftll  the 
land  'with  the  /lain,  and  I  'will  make  the  river 
dry*,  and  fell  the  land  into  the  hand  of  the 

'wicked, 

*  This  is  a  figurative  expreflion,  denoting  probably  that 
the  river,  of  which  this  king  made  fo  great  a  boaft,  fhouid 
not  avail  him  when  he  was  invaded  by  his  enemy.  It  fliouid 
be  as  eafily  pafled,  as  if  its  channel  had  been  dry. 


$3«  THE  EVIDENCES  OF 

nicked,  and  I  -will  make  the  land  -wajle,  and  all 
that  is  therein  by  the  band  of  ftr angers.  I  the 
Lord  have  fpoken  it.  Thus  faith  the  Lord  God, 
I  will  alfo  dejlroy  the  idols,  and  I  will  caufe  their 
images  to  ceafe  out  of  Noph,  and  there  Jball  be 
w  more  a  prince  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  and  I 
will  put  a  fear  in  the  land  of  Egypt. 

The  hiftory  of  Egypt  from  that  time  to 
the  prefent,  which  is  more  than  two  thou- 
fand  years,  correfponds  in  a  remarkable 
manner  to  this  predi&ion;  that  country 
having  been  ever  fince  under  the  dominion 
of  foreigners,  viz.  the  Babylonians,  Per- 
fians,  Macedonians,  Romans,  Saracens, 
Mamluks,  and  Turks.  And,  judging  from 
appearances,  it  is  not  at  all  probable  that 
the  Egyptians  will  ever  recover  their  liber 
ty,  and  have  a  king  of  their  own.  Indeed, 
Egypt  has  been  fo  often  conquered  and 
enflaved,  fo  many  perfons  of  foreign  ex 
traction  have  fettled  in  it,  that  it  muft  be 
hard  to  fay  who  of  the  prefent  inhabitants 
are  of  the  flock  of  the  antient  Egyptians. 
But  it  is  not  probable  that  any  native  of 

the 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  359 

the  country,   of  whatever  ftock,  will  ever 
have  the  fovereignty  of  it. 

2.   Ifaiah  lived  in  the  reign  of  Uzziah, 
Jotham,    Ahaz,    and   Hezekiah,   kings  of 
Judah,   about  one  hundred  and  fifty  years 
before  the  conquefts  of  Nebuchadnezzar, 
and  more  than  two  hundred  before  thofe 
of  Cyrus,   while  the  kingdom  of  Babylon 
was  inferior  to  that  of  the  Aflyrians,  yet 
he  foretold  the  fall  of  the  Babylonian  em 
pire,    in    language  peculiarly   emphatical, 
and  his  predictions  have  been  verified  by 
the  events  in  a  moft   remarkable  manner, 
fome  of  the  particulars  not  having  taken 
place,  till   many  ages  had  elapfed.   Ifaiah 
xiii.  9.  Babylon  the  glory  of  kingdoms,  the  beau 
ty  of  the  Cbaldees  excellency,  Jball  be  as  when 
God  overthrew  Sodom  and  Gomorrah.     It  Jball 
never  be  inhabited,  neither  Jball  it  be  dwelt  in 
from  generation  to  generation,  neither  Jlmll  the 
Arabian  pitch  his  tent  tbere ;  and  their  boiifes 
fhall  be  full  of  doleful  creatures,  and  owls  Jl?  all 
dwell  there,  and  fatyrs  Jball  dance  tbere,  and 
wild  beajls  of^rbz  iflands  (that  is  foreign  wild 
>beafts)  Jball  cry  in  their  defolate  boufes,  and 

dragons 


340  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

dragons  in  their  pleafant  palaces,  and  the  time  is 
near  to  come,  and  her  days  fhall  not  be  prolonged. 
He  alfo  fays,  Chap.  xiv.  22.  I  -will  rife 
up  againft  them,  faith  the  Lord  of  bofts,  and 
cut  off  from  Babylon  the  name  and  remnant, 
andfon,  and  nephew,  faith  the  Lord.  I  will 
alfo  make  it  a  pojjefjion  for  bitterns,  and  pools  of 
water  ;  and  I  will  fweep  it  with  the  befom  of 
deftruflion,  faith  the  Lord  of  hojls.  The  pro 
phet  even  mentioned  the  nations,  then  in 
their  very  infant  ftate,  by  which  Babylon 
would  be-  conquered,  when  he  faid,  chap. 
xxi.  2.  Go  up  Elam,  (i.  e.  Perfia)  befiege,  0 
Media,  for  they  were  the  Medes  and  Per- 
fians  in  conjunction  that  overturned  theBa- 
by Ionian  empire. 

Jeremiah,  who  lived  in  the  reign  of 
Nebuchadnezzar,  at  the  time  when  the 
Babylonian  empire  was  in  its  greateft 
ftrength  and  glory,  prophefied  to  the 
fame  purport  with  Ifaiah,  chap.  50.  *  Lo, 

*  I  will  raife  up,   and    caufe  to  come  up 
<  againft  Babylon,    an   aflembly    of  great 
'  nations   from  the    north    country,     and 

*  they  fhall  fet  thenifelves  in  array  againft 

4  her. 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  341 

*  her.      From  thence  flie  fhall  be  taken. 
'  Becaufe  of  the  wrath  of  the  Lord  it  fhall 
6  not  be  inhabited,   but  it  fhall  be  wholly 

*  defolate.      Every  one  that  goeth  by  Ba- 
6  bylon  fhall  be  aftonifhed,  and  hifs  at  alt 

*  her  plagues,   for  it   is  a  land  of  graven 
f  images,   and  they  are  mad    upon    their 

*  idols.      Therefore  the  wild  beafts  of  the 

*  defert,  and  the  wild  beafts  of  the  iflands, 
<  lhall    dwell    there,   and    the    owls    fhall 

*  dwell  therein,   and  it  fhall  be  no   more 
'  inhabited  for    ever,    neither  fhall  it    be 

*  dwelt  in  from  generation  to  generation.' 

This  prophet  alfo  mentions  the  names 
of  the  future  enemies  of  Babylon,  chap, 
li.  II.  *  The  Lord  fhall  raife  up  the  fpirit 
4  of  the  kings  of  the  Medes;  for  his  devife 
'  is  againft  Babylon  to  deftroy  it.'  The 
duration  of  the  captivity  of  his  country 
men  by  the  Babylonians,  Jeremiah  exact 
ly  foretold.  After  mentioning  the  con- 
quefts  of  this  nation,  he  proceeds  thus, 
chap.  xxv.  n,  '  Thofe  nations  fnall  ferve 
'  the  king  of  Babylon  feventy  years,  and 

*  it  fhall  come  to  pafs,  that  when  feventy 

years 


242  THE    EVIDENCES,    OF  • 

*  years  are  accomplifhed,  I  will  punifh  the 

*  king  of  Babylon,  and  that  nation,  faith 

*  the  Lord.'     Chap.  xxix.  10,    '  For  thus 

*  faith  the  Lord,  that  after  feventy  years 
'  be  accomplifhed  at  Babylon,  I  will  vifit 
'  you,    and  perform    my  good  word  to- 
'  wards  you,  in  caufmg  you  to  return  to 

*  this  place.* 

The  prophecies  concerning  the  defola- 
tion  of  Babylon  were  not  fulfilled  in  their 
full  extent,  till  long  after  the  time  of  our 
Saviour.  Babylon  was  taken  by  Cyrus 
exactly  feventy  years  after  the  conqueft  of 
Judea;  but  it  was  not  reduced  to  the  ftate 
mentioned  in  thefe  prophecies  but  by  flow 
degrees.  Cyrus  having  taken  the  city  by 
turning  the  river  which  flowed  through 
it  out  of  its  channel,  all  the  neighbourhood 
became  marfhy  and  unhealthy.  Diodorus 
Siculus,  who  wrote  a  little  before  the 
time  of  our  Saviour,  fays,  that  the  build 
ings  of  Babylon  were  then  decayed,  that 
only  a  fmall  part  of  it  was  inhabited,  and 
that  the  reft  of  the  inclofure  was  employ 
ed  in  tillage.  Pliny,  who  wrote  in  the 

firft 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  343 

iirft  century  after  Chrift,  fays  that  Baby 
lon  was  then  reduced  to  folitude,  being  ex- 
haufted  by  the  neighbourhood  of  Seleucia, 
which  was  not  far  from  it.  Paufanias, 
who  wrote  about  the  middle  of  the  fecond 
century,  fays,  that  "  of  Babylon  the  great- 
"  eft  city  that  the  fun  ever  faw,  there  was 
"  nothing  remaining  but  the  walls;'  and  Lu- 
cian,  who  wrote  about  the  fame  time,  fays, 
that  very  foon  it  would,  like  Nineveh,  be 
fought  for,  and  not  be  found.  In  the 
time  of  Jerom,  who  lived  in  the  fourth 
century,  the  whole  inclofure  of  the  walls 
of  Babylon  was  actually  converted  into  a 
place  for  keeping  wild  beafts,  and  was 
ufed  for  that  and  no  other  purpofe  by 
many  of  the  kings  of  Perfia.  At  length, 
even  the  walls  of  this  great  city,  fo  much 
celebrated  for  their  height  and  thicknefs, 
were  demolifhed,  but  by  whom  is  not 
known.  About  feven  hundred  years  ago, 
Benjamin  a  Jew,  found  fome  remains  of  the 
ruins  of  Babylon,  but  people  were  afraid 
to  go  among  them  on  account  of  the  fer- 
pents  and  fcorpions  with  which  it  fwarm- 

ed, 


344  THE.    EVIDENCES     OF 

ed ;  and  at  prefent  it  is  not  agreed  among 
travellers,  in  what  place  the  great  city  of 
Babylon,  flood.  In  this  cafe,  furely,  there 
cannot  be  any  pretence  for  faying  that  the 
prediction  was  fubfequent  to  the  event, 
and  yet  no  event  was  ever  more  diftinclly 
defcribed. 

What  is  perhaps,  however,  more  re 
markable  ftill,  Ifaiah  mentions  Cyrus  by 
name,  as  the  conqueror  of  Babylon,  and 
the  perfon  who  was  deftined  to  favour  the 
people  of  Ifrael,  by  ordering  the  rebuild 
ing  of  Jerufalem  and  the  temple,  though 
in  his  time  they  were  both  Handing.  Ifa. 
Ixiv.  22.  *  Thus  faith  the  Lord,  thy  re- 
'  deeiner,  and  he  that  formed  thee  from 

*  the   womb,   I   am  the  Lord  that  maketh 
'  all  things,  that  ftretcheth  forth  the  hea- 

*  vens  above,   that   fpreadeth   abroad   the 
4  earth  by  myfelf ;  that  faith  to  Jerufalem, 

*  Thou  fhalt  be  inhabited,  and  to  the  cities 

*  of  Judah,   Ye  fhall  be  built,   and  I  will 

*  raife  up  the  decayed  places  thereof;  that 

*  faith   to  the   deep,    Be    dry,   and  I  will 
?.  dry  up  their  rivers,  that  faith  to  Cyrus, 

<  he 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  345 

s  he  is  my  fhepherd,  and  fliall  perform  all 

*  my  pleafure,   even  faying  to  Jerufalem, 
'  thou  ihalt  be  built,   and  to  the  temple, 
(  thy  foundation  fhall  be  laid.      Thus  faith 
'  the    Lord    to   his    anointed,     to    Cyrus, 

*  whofe  right  hand  I  have  holden,  to  fub- 
'  due  nations  before  him,   and  I  will  loofe 

5  the  loins  of  kings,  to  open  before  him 

*  the  two-leaved  gates.      I  will  break  in 
'  pieces  the  gates  of  brafs,  and  cut  in  fun- 

*  der  the  bars  of  iron.    And  I  will  give  thee 

<  the  treafures    of   darknefs,    and    hidden 

*  riches  of  fecret  places,   that  thou  mayefl 
'  know  that  I  the  Lord,   who  call  thee  by 

*  thy  name,   am  the   God    of    Ifrael.      I 
'.  have   furnamed  thee    though    thou    haft 

6  not  known  me.      I   am  the  Lord,   and 

*  there  is  none  elfe.      There  is  no  god  be- 

*  fides    me.     I  girded    thee  though    thou 
'  haft  not  known  me;  that  they  may  know 

*  from  the  rifing   of  the    fun,   and   from 

*  the    Weft,    that   there    is   none    befides 

<  me.      I  am  the  Lord,   and  there  is  none 
'  elfe.     I  form  the  light,  and  create  dark- 

E  e  '  nefs: 


3|6  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

'  nefs:  I  make  peace,    and  create  evil;  I 

'  the  Lord  do  all  thefe  things/ 

3.  Not  lefs  remarkably  have  the  pro 
phecies  concerning  Tyre,  received  their 
accomplifhment.  In  the  eleventh  year  af 
ter  the  captivity  of  the  Jews,  which  was 
before  the  fiege  of  Tyre  by  Nebuchadnez 
zar,  Ezekiel  fays,  Chap.  xxvi.  I.  '  The 
f  word  of  the  Lord  came  unto  me,  faying, 

<  Son    of  man,    becaufe  that  Tyrus  hath 

*  faid  againft  Jerufalem,   Aha,   Ihe  is  bro- 

*  ken,  that  was  the   gate  of  the  people, 
'  fhe  is  turned  unto  me,  I  fhall  be  replenifh- 

<  ed  now  ftie  is  laid  wafte.   Therefore  thus 

*  faith  the  Lord  God,  Behold  I  am  againft 

*  thee,   O  Tyrus,   and  will  caufe  many  na- 
'  tions  to  come  up  againft  thee,    and  they 

*  fhall   deftroy  the   walls   of    Tyrus,    and 

*  break  down   her    towers.       I    will  alfo 

*  fcrape  her  duft  from  her,   and  make  her 
'  like  the   top  of  a  rock.      It  fhall  be   a 

*  place  for  the  fpreading  of  nets  in  the 
'  midft  of  the  fea,  for  I   have  fpoken  it 
•*  faith  the  Lord  God,  and  it  ihall  become  a 

«  fpoil 


REVEALED    RELIGION,  347 

c  fpoil  to  the  nations/      It  is  added  v.  14. 
'  Thou  fliall  be  built  no  more/ 

When  this  prophecy  was  delivered 
Tyre  was  in  its  glory,  probably  the  moft 
wealthy  and  the  ftrongeft  city  in  the  world. 
It  was  taken  by  Nebuchadnezzar,  but  not 
till  it  had  fuftained  a  fiege  of  thirteen 
years.  That  city  was  never  rebuilt,  but 
another  on  an  ifland,  at  the  diftance  of 
half  a  mile  from  the  fhore,  which  in  time 
became  as  flourifliing,  and  as  powerful,  as 
the  former.  This,  however,  was  taken  by 
Alexander  the  Great,  and  it  never  reco 
vered  itfelf.  It  is  now  a  heap  of  ruins, 
vifited,  not  inhabited,  by  a  few  fifhermen. 
A  traveller,  who,  about  a  century  ago  gave 
an  account  of  it,  fays  that  when  he  ap 
proached  the  ruins  of  Tyre,  he  found  rocks 
ftretched  out  into  the  fea,  and  great  ftones 
fcattered  up  and  down  on  the  fhore,  made 
clean  fmooth  by  the  fun,  the  waves,  and 
the  wind,  and  of  no  ufe  but  for  the  drying 
of  fifhermen's  nets,  many  of  which  were 
at  that  time,  fpread  upon  them  ;  fo  that 
the  full  completion  of  this  prophecy,  deli- 

E  e  2.  vered 


348  THE     EVIDENCES    OF 

vered  above  two  thoufand  three  hundred 
years  ago,  did  not  take  place  till  within 
the  lail  two  or  three  centuries. 

4.  The  prophecies  of  Daniel  relate  to 
the  moft  diftant  times,  even  thofe  which 
we  have  not  yet  reached;  butfome  of  the 
great  events  indicated  in  them  by  emblems, 
and  afterwards  explained  in  words,  have 
fo  evidently  come  to  pafs,  that  for  this, 
and  no  other  reafon,  (which  is  merely  tak 
ing  the  queftion  for  granted,  againft  the 
ftrongeft  evidence,  internal  and  external) 
it  has  been  faid,  that  they  muft  have  been 
written  after  them. 

To  Nebuchadnezzar,  chap.  iv.  Was  re 
vealed  in  a  vifion  of  a  great  image,  con- 
fifting  of  different  kinds  of  metal,  over 
turned  by  a  ftone,  which  afterwards  be 
came  a  great  mountain,  filling  the  whole 
earth,  the  fucceffion  of  four  great  mo 
narchies,  of  which  his  own  was  declared 
to  be  the  firft,  and  of  which  the  laft  can 
be  no  other  than  the  Roman,  terminating 
in  ten  kingdoms,  which  now  exifl,  after 
which  is  to  come  what  is  called  the  kingdom 

of 


REVEALED      RELIGION.  349 

of  heaven,  which  will  continue  for  ever, 
and  this,  according  to  many  other  ac 
counts  of  it,  is  to  be  the  reign  of  peace 
and  righteoufnefs. 

In  another  vifion,  feen  by  Daniel  him- 
felf,  chap.  vii.  four  great  empires,  and  no 
doubt  the  fame  with  the  former,  are  re- 
prefented  by  four  beafts,  the  laft  of  which 
had  ten  horns,  fucceeded  by  the  appear 
ance  of  one  like  to  the  fon  of  man,  to 
iv bom  iv as  given  dominion,  and  glory,  and  a 
kingdom  'which  Jhould  be  univerfal  and  ever- 
lading.  The  firft  of  thefe  empires  being 
the  Babylonian,  it  is  impoffible  not  to  in 
terpret  the  fucceeding  ones  to  be  the  Per- 
fian,  the  Macedonian,  and  the  Roman, 
divided  at  laft  into  ten  kingdoms  as  be 
fore. 

Farther  than  this,  another  power  is 
defcribed  as  arifmg  among  the  ten  king 
doms,  in  which  the  laft  of  the  four  em 
pires  terminates,  and  by  this  it  is  almoft  im 
poffible  not  to  underftand,  the  papal.  I 
confidered  the  ten  horns,  fays  Daniel,  chap.  vii. 
8.  and  behold  there  came  ^ip  among  them  another 

link 


3^o  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

little  horn,  before  whom  were  three  of  the  firft 
boms  plucked  up  by  the  roots,  and  behold  in  this 
horn  -were  eyes  like  the  eyes  of  a  man,  and  a 
mouth  fpeaking  great  things,  v.  21.  I  beheld t 
and  the  fame  horn  made  war  with  the  faints, 
and  prevailed  again/I  them,  until  the  antient  of 
days  came,  and  judgment  was  given  to  the  faints 
of  the  Mojl  High,  and  the  time  came  that  the 
Jaints  pojjeffed  the  kingdom.  In  the  interpre 
tation  of  this,  the  angel  fays,  v.  24.  The 
ten  horns  out  of  this  kingdom  are  ten  kings  that 
Jhall  arife,  and  another  fiall  arife  after  themt 
and  he  Jhall  be  diverfe  from  the  firjl,  and  he 
Jhall  fubdue  three  kings.  Aid  he  Jhall  fpeak  great 
words  againft  the  Mojl  High,  and  flail  wear  out 
the  faints  of  tbe  Mojt  High,  and  tbink  to  change 
times  and  lawf,  and  they  Jkall  be  given  into  his 
hand  until  a  time  and  times,  and  the  dividing  of 
time.  But  the  judgment  fiall  (it,  and  they  J I  all 
take  aw  ay  Ins  dominion,  to  consume  and  to  dejiroy 
it  U.LIO  the  end.  The  hiftory  of  the  popes, 
though  Lcannot  now  enter  into  the  par 
ticulars,  eorrefponds  in  a  wonderful  man 
ner  with  this  prediction,  delivered  unquef- 
tionably  above  a  thoufand  years  before 
the  event. 

In 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  351 

In  another  vifion,  chap.  viii.  a  ram 
with  two  horns,  the  one  higher  than  the 
other,  of  which  the  higheft  came  up  laft, 
was  deftroyed  by  a  he-goat,  with  one 
great  horn  between  his  eyes,  which  being 
broken  off  four  others  came  up  in  its 
place.  And  in  the  interpretation  it  is  ex- 
prefsly  faid,  that  the  ram  with  two  horns 
reprefented  the  empire  of  J:he  Medes  and 
Perfians,  of  which  the  latter  was  more 
powerful  than  the  former,  though  it  was 
not  fo  at  the  firft,  and  that  the  he-goat 
reprefented  the  kingdom  of  the  Grecians, 
that  the  great  horn  was  the  firft  king, 
and  that  after  him  four  {hould  ftand  up  out 
of  the  nation,  but  not  in  his  power. 

This  vifion  was  in  the  reign  of  Bellhaz- 
zar,  before  the  conqueft  of  Babylon  by 
the  Medes  and  Perfians,  while  the  Medes 
were  by  much  the  more  powerful  nation, 
and  therefore  long  before  the  conqueft  of 
Perfia  by  Alexander,  on  whofe  death  his 
dominions  were  divided  among  four  of  his 
generals.  The  remainder  of  this  vifion, 
and  others,  which  probably  relate  to  times 

that 


3$a  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

that  are  yet  future,  have  fome  difficulty  in 
their  interpretation,  which  time  will  pro 
bably  clear  up.  But  if  Daniel  defcribed 
the  empire  of  the  Greeks  or  Macedoni 
an,  and  much  more  that  of  the  Romans, 
it  cannot  be  queftioned  but  that  the  events 
indicated  in  his  writings,  were  fubfequent 
to  the  prediction  of  them,  and  fuch  as  no 
human  fagacity  could  at  that  time  dif- 
cover. 

We  find  the  clearefl  marks  of  a  pro 
phetic  fpirit  in  the  New  Teftament,  as  well 
as  in  the  Old.  Jefus,  befides  foretelling 
his  own  death,  and  that  by  crucifixion, 
with  all  the  circumftaiices  of  indignity  at 
tending  it,  alfo  his  refurredtion  and  afcen- 
fion,  appears  by  his  parables,  to  have  had  a 
'•'  clear  forefight  of  the  fpread,  and  final  pre 
valence,  of  his  religion  in  the  world,  of  the 
perfecution  of  his  followers,  the  diflention 
and  mifchief  of  which  it  would  for  fome 
time  be  the  occafion,  and  of  the  corrup 
tion  of  his  doftrine.  He  alfo  foretold  in 
the  clearefl:  language,  without  any  figure 
or  parable,  the  deftrudtion  of  Jerufalem, 

the 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  353 

the  total  demolition  of  the  temple,  and  the 
defolation  of  the  country  of  Judea,  with 
many  figns  of  its  near  approach  in  that  ge 
neration,  when  no  other  perfon  of  that  na 
tion,  or  any  other,  appears  to  have  had  the 
leaft  apprehenfion  of  fuch  events.  The 
warning  he  gave  his  difciples  to  flee  out 
of  the  country  on  the  approach  of  thefe  ca 
lamitous  times,  was  well  underftood  by 
them,  and  was  the  means  of  faving  them 
all ;  no  Chriftians  being  in  Jerufalem  when 
it  was  befieged  and  taken  by  Titus. 

The  apoftle  Paul  forewarns  Chriftians 
of  the  rife  of  a  power  in  the  Chriftiau 
church,  which  would  advance  higher  claims 
than  thofe  of  any  other  earthly  potentate, 
that  he  would  gain  his  authority  by  arti 
fice,  and  pretences  to  miracles,  that  he 
would  recommend  abftinence  from  certain 
meats,  and  difcourage  marriage;  but  that 
it  would  be  finally  deftroyed  at  the  fecond 
coming  of  Chrift,  2  Thefl'.  ii.  3.  Let  no  man 
deceive  you  by  any  means,  for  there  muft  come  a 
falling  aivay,  or  an  apoftacy,  firft,  i.  e.  be 
fore  the  time  of  final  judgment,  and  that 

man- 


354  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

man  of  fin  mujl  be  revealed,  the  fon  of  perdi 
tion,  luho  oppofeth  and  exalteth  himfelf  above  all 
that  is  called  God,  or  that  is  ivorjhipped,  fo  that 
fa,  as  God,  fitteth  in  the  temple  of  God,  Jheiu- 
ing  him j elf  that  he  is  God — whom  the  Lord  pall 
confume  ivitb  the  fpirit  of  his  mouth,  and  Jball 
deftroy  with  the  brightnejs  of  his  coming ;  even 
him  ivhofe  coming  is  after  the  working  of  Satan, 
with  all  power,  and  figns,  and  lying  wonders, 
and  with  all  deceitjulnefs  of  unrighteoufnefs . 
I  Tim.  iv.  I .  The  fpirit  fpeaketh  exprefsly, 
that  in  the  latter  times  feme  fhall  depart  from 
the  faith,  giving  heed  to  feducing  fpirits  and 
doctrines  of  demons— forbidding  to  marry,  and 
commanding  to  abftain  from  meats,  wbich  God 
has  created  to  be  received -with  thank/giving.  A 
farther  defcription  of  this  fame  power,  is 
given  in  the  Revelation  of  John,  with  the 
fteps  by  which  it  rofe,  and  the  fhocking 
ufe  that  would  be  made  of  its  power,  in 
the  perfecution  of  the  church.  Certainly 
all  thefe  char  afters  are  to  be  found  in  the 
Pope,  and  the  church  of  Rome,  and  what 
probability  was  there  of  the  rife  of  any 
fuch  power,  at  the  time  that  the  prophe 
cies 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  35$ 

cies  were  delivered?  Thisapoftle  alfo gives 
a  iketch  of  the  moft  interefting  events  of 
every  kind,  from  his  own  time  to  the  end 
of  the  world.  But  as,  for  evident  reafons, 
this  prophecy  is  delivered  in  figurative  lan 
guage,  and  emblems,  its  correfpondence 
with  the  events  cannot  be  expected  to  be 
apparent,  till  after  they  have  taken  place. 
And  therefore  it  is  not  much  for  the  pur- 
pofe  of  my  prefent  argument,  though  I 
think  that  till  pretty  near  to  the  prefent 
times,  the  correfpondence  will  be  fufficient- 
ly  evident  to  the  impartial  and  candid. 

But  without  any  regard  to  thefe  predic 
tions,  which  are  acknowledged  to  be  bet-- 
ter  calculated  to  confirm  the  faith  of  the 
believer,  than  to  convert  unbelievers,  the 
prophecies  I  have  enumerated,  though  few 
in  comparifon  of  what  might  have  been 
adduced,  will  fatisfy  any  reafonable  per- 
fon,  that  they  muft  have  been  dictated  by 
a  forefight  more  than  human,  and  there 
fore  that  the  Jewifh  and  Chriftian  reli 
gions,  having  the  fame  author,  muft  be 
of  divine  authority* 

DISCOURSE 


DISCOURSE     XII. 

Internal  Evidence  of  Jefeu  being  no 
Impo/ior. 


We  are  in  him  that  is  true,  even  in  his  Son  Jefus 
Chrift. 


20. 


JDESIDES    the  evidence  of  miracles, 
including  that  of  prophecy,    which   is    the 
proper  feal  of  God  to  any  thing  that  is  al 
leged  to  come  from  him,   with  which  we 
become   acquainted  by  hiftory,   or  traditi 
on,  and  which  is  ufually  called  the  external 
evidence  of  divine  revelation,    there  is  ano 
ther   kind   of  evidence  properly  denomi 
nated  internal,   which  to  thofe  who  have  a 
fufficient  knowledge  of  human  nature  and 
human   life,     is   hardly    lefs     fatisfaftory. 
For  knowing   what  men  are,   and  what 
men  have  done,   we  readily  judge  what  is 
probable  or  improbable,  polfible  or  impof- 

fible, 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  357 

fible,  with  refpect  to  the  defigns  and  ac 
tions  of  men;  and  if  any  thing  be  afferted 
of  a  man,  and  efpecially  of  a  number  of 
men,  which  we  well  know  could  not  be 
aflerted  with  truth  of  any  man,  or  any 
number  of  men,  with  whom  we  were 
ever  acquainted,  or  concerning  whom  we 
have  had  any  authentic  information,  we 
do  not  hefitate  to  pronounce  it  to  be  highly 
improbable,  and  perhaps  abfolutely  impof- 
fible. 

It  is,  therefore,  of  the  greateft  im 
portance,  that  we  apply  the  knowledge 
we  have  of  human  nature,  and  human 
life,  in  our  ftudy  of  the  evidences  of  di 
vine  revelation,  to  attend  accurately  to 
the  charafters  and  circumftances  of  Mofes 
and  the  prophets,  of  Chrift  and  the  apof- 
tles,  that  we  may  form  a  judgment  whe 
ther  what  is  related  of  them,  on  the  fup- 
pofition  of  their  having  had  divine  com 
munications,  or  of  their  having  been  im- 
poftors,  be  probable  or  otherwife.  Hav 
ing  in  a  former  fet  of  difcourfes  confidered 
the  circumftances  of  the  hiftory  of  Mofes, 
I  lhall  in  this  confider  the  hiftory  of  Je- 

fus; 


358  THE     EVIDENCES    OF 

liis ;  and  I  think  it  will  appear,  that,  if 
what  is,  and  muft  be,  allowed  concerning 
him  be  true,  it  was  abfolutely  impoflible 
that  he  fhould  have  been  an  impoftor,  every 
thing  related  of  him  being  perfectly  natu 
ral  on  the  idea  of  his  being  confcious  to 
himfelf,  or  fully  perfuaded  in  his  own 
mind,  of  his  having  a  divine  miffion,  but 
in  the  higheft  degree  unnatural,  and  even 
impoflible,  on  the  idea  of  his  having  been 
an  impoftor.  That  he  was  a  mere  entbu* 
fiaft,  and  really  imagined  that  he  had  a 
divine  miffion  when  he  had  none,  is  ano 
ther  queftion,  which  I  fliall  confider  only 
incidentally.  This  indeed  was  evidently 
impoflible  in  fuch  a  cafe  as  this,  and  will 
not,  I  am  perfuaded,  be  fuppofed  by  any 
unbeliever;  fo  that  if  Jefus  was  no  im 
poftor,  and  did  not  know  that  he 
\vas  deceiving  his  followers  and  the 
world,  his  divine  miffion  muft  be  ac 
knowledged. 

i.  If  we  confider  the  nature  and  ex 
tent  of  the  undertaking  of  Jefus,  it  muft 
appear  highly  improbable  that  it  mould 

have 


REVEALED    RELIGIONS  359 

have  occurred  to  a  perfon  of  his  country, 
and    of    his   low   birth,    and    education. 
Had  his  views,   whatever  they  \vere,  ex 
tended  no  farther  than  his  own  country, 
is  undertaking  any  thing  that  fhould  bring 
him  into  notice,   and  advance  him  in  life, 
(which  is  all  that  an  impoftor  can  be  fup-» 
pofed  to  aim  at)  muft  have  appeared  very 
unlikely  to  fucceed,  and  confequently  muft 
have  been  very  unlikely  to  enter  into  his 
thoughts,    and  have   been  undertaken  by 
him.       With  the    Jews,    the    place    of  a 
man's  birth    was    a   circumftance    of   no 
fmall  moment,   and  Jefus  was   of   Nazar- 
reth,  efteemed  a  mean  place,  in  a  defpifed 
part   of  the   country,   fo  that,  on   this  ac 
count,   he  muft  have  lain  under  great  dif- 
advantage;     and    his    occupation,     which 
was  that  of  a  carpenter,   without  any  ad 
vantage  of  education,   fuch  as  his  country 
afforded,   muft  have  made  his  undertaking 
much   more    difficult.      In    thefe    circum^ 
ftances,  ambition  fo  prepofterous  as  that  of 
Jefus,  muft  have  bordered  on  infanity  or 
infatuation,  which  muft  have  appeared  in  his 

conduct. 


360  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

conduct.  But  nothing  of  this  kind  does  ap 
pear  in  him.  Exclufive  of  the  language 
fuited  to  his  undertaking,  there  was  no 
thing  like  extravagance  in  his  words  or 
actions.  On  the  contrary,  his  whole  be 
haviour  {hewed  a  mind  perfectly  compofed 
and  rational,  and  what  is  more,  there  was 
not  in  him  any  thing  of  oftentation,  but  the 
moft  amiable  humility  and  mo  deft  y,  though 
accompanied  with  becoming  dignity. 

Whatever  we  may  think  of  a  Jewifh 
education,  and  Jewifh  literature,  they 
were  highly  valued  by  Jews,  and  muft 
have  been  neceflary  to  gain  general  ef- 
teem,  efpecially  with  the  higher  clafles 
of  men,  and  for  the  purpofe  of  afting  any 
confpicuous  part  in  that  country.  Jefus 
himfelf  could  not  but  have  found,  and  have 
felt,  this  difadvantage ;  and  if  he  had  not 
been  deterred  by  it  from  his  undertaking^ 
he  muft  have  had  fuch  an  immoderate 
and  abfurd  conceit  of  himfelf,  as  could  not 
but  have  appeared  in  his  general  conducl, 
and  muft  have  expofed  him  to  contempt. 
Such  is  always  the  cafe  if  any  perfon  in 

fimilar 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  36i 

iknilar  circumftances  with  us  attempt  any 
thing  above  his  fphere  of  life.  It  fre 
quently  happens  that  men  of  no  education, 
and,  even  of  low  occupations,  ftep  out  of 
their  fphere,  and  become  preachers,  but 
they  are  feldom  attended  to,  except  by 
perfons  like  themfelves,  and  they  general 
ly  appear  ridiculous  in  the  eyes  of  others. 
But  fuch  was  not  the  cafe  with  Jefus.  He 
was  revered  and  dreaded,  by  the  chief 
perfons  of  his  nation;  and  the  contempt 
they  fometimes  exprefled  for  him  was  ei 
ther  affefted,  or  conceived  before  they  had 
fufficient  knowledge  of  him.  The  manner 
in  which  they  at  length  proceeded  againft 
him,  fhews  that  they  were  moft  feriouily 
alarmed,  and  thought  their  own  credit 
and  fafety  depended  on  their  deflroying 
him. 

Some  perfons  deftitute  of  the  advan 
tages  of  birth  and  education,  have  great 
natural  talents,  which  fupply  their  place, 
and  give  them  great  influence.  But  Jefus 
does  not  appear  to  have  had  any  advantage 
of  this  kind.  Like  Mofes,  he  was  neither 
F  f  an 


362  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

an  orator,  nor  a  warrior.  He  could,  in 
deed,  fpeak  pertinently  upon  proper  occa- 
fions,  and  he  difcovered  great  prefence  of 
mind  incritical  circumftances.  But  this  is 
not  very  uncommon,  and  there  was  no 
thing  in  his  manner  of  fpeaking  to  capti 
vate  an  audience,  by  moving  the  paffions. 
He  never  attempted  any  thing  of  the  kind, 
and  the  admiration  with  which  his  dif- 
courfes  were  heard,  was  excited  not  by 
any  thing  that  we  call  eloquence,  but  by 
the  importance  of  what  he  delivered,  and 
and  his  authoritative  manner  of  fpeaking, 
which  a  confcioufnefs  of  a  divine  miffion 
naturally  gave  him.  It  is  evident  that  he 
avoided  as  much  as  polfible  all  occafions 
of  drawing  a  crowd  after  him,  and  when, 
from  the  fame  of  his  miracles,  this  was 
unavoidable,  he  always  withdrew  as  foon, 
•and  as  privately,  as  he  could. 

2.  If  we  confider  what  it  was  that 
Jefus  undertook,  we  fliall  find  that  it  was 
of  a  nature  leaft  of  all  calculated  to  ftrike 
and  captivate  the  Jews.  All  that  we 
know  of  them,  of  their  general  character 

and 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  363 

and  views,  make  it  evident  that  the  only 
perfon  likely  to  gain  their  favourable  atten 
tion  was  one  who  would  perfonate  their 
Mejfiah,  who  was  then  expected  to  make 
his  appearance,  to  deliver  them  from  the 
ftate  of  fubjection  they  were  then  under 
to  the  Romans,  and  to  give  them  the  em 
pire  of  the  world.  Except  Jefus  himfelf, 
and  his  forerunner  John  the  Baptift,  no 
other  perfon  ever  gained  any  confiderable 
•number  of  followers  among  the  Jews, 
who  did  not  flatter  their  ambition,  by  ad 
vancing  that  pretention,  or  in  fome  other 
form  erected  the  ftandard  of  liberty  among 
them.  But  with  thefe  pretenfions  they 
never  failed  to  gain  many  followers  in 
that  nation.  Jefus,  however,  efiablifhed 
a  permanent  inter  eft  in  the  affections  of 
thoufands  of  that  country,  all  prepofTeffed 
with  the  idea  of  a  temporal  deliverer  (at 
firft,  indeed,  fondly  hoping  that  he  wras  the 
perfon)  though  he  carefully  difclaimed  all 
fuch  pretences.  And  what  is  more  extra 
ordinary,  his  difciples  and  followers  in- 
F  f  2  creafed 


364  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

creafed  after  his  death,   when  every  idea 
of  that  kind  muft  have  been  given  up. 

By  fetting  himfelf  alike  againft  the 
Pharifees  and  Sadducees,  Jefus  not  only 
rendered  himfelf  obnoxious  to  all  the 
higher  orders  of  perfons  in  the  coun 
try,  but  muft  have  been  lefs  likely  to  fuc- 
ceed  even  with  the  common  people,  by 
whom  the  Pharifees  were  held  in  the 
higheft  efteem.  Indeed,  it  cannot  be  faid 
that  there  was  any  clafs  or  defcription  of 
perfons  to  whom  he  paid  court,  or  was 
at  all  ftudious  to  recommend  himfelf.  One 
of  his  difcourfes  to  the  people  was  of  fuch 
a  nature,  that  all  his  audience  left  him, 
except  the  twelve  apoftles,  and  yet  he 
was  not  concerned  or  difcouraged  by  it ; 
but,  turning  to  the  twelve,  he  calm 
ly  faid,  Will  ye  alfo  go  away?  Of  what 
kind,  then,  muft  have  been  the  ambi 
tion  of  Jefus,  which  was  equally  inde 
pendent  of  the  favour  of  the  great,  and  of 
that  of  the  commonality  ?  What  could 
he  have  expected  but  univerfal  contempt  ? 

A  Jew, 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  365 

A  Jew,  whofe  objeft  had  been  to 
draw  attention  as  a  prophet,  would  natur 
ally  have  affumed  the  habit  and  manner  of 
the  antient  prophets  of  that  nation,  which 
had  in  them  much  of  aufterity.  And  by 
this  means  John  the  Baptift,  who  did  not 
pretend  to  work  miracles,  was  highly 
and  generally  refpecled.  But  Jefus, 
though  with  that  example  before  him, 
adopted  a  very  different  manner.  He 
appears  to  have  drefled,  and  to  have 
lived,  like  other  perfons,  without  any  pe 
culiarity  whatever.  Whenever  he  was 
invited,  he  did  not  decline  being  prefent  at 
entertainments,  and  his  prefence  does  not 
appear  to  have  been  at  any  time  a  check 
upon  their  innocent  feftivity.  This  was 
fo  much  the  cafe,  that  his  enemies  faid 
of  him,  that  he  was  a  gluttonous  man  and  a 
ivinebibber,  as  well  as  a  friend  oj  public  am  and 
finners. 

Befides,  that,  in  a  civil  refpecl,  the  ap 
pearance  and  pretenfions  of  jefus  were  ill 
adapted  to  favour  any  ambitious  views,  he 
taught  nothing  with  refpect  to  religion 

that 


366  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

that  was  likely  to  recommend  him  to  his 
countrymen.  He  did  not  pretend  to  teach 
any  docTrine  that  was  properly  new,  but 
his  expofmgof  the  abfurd  comments  of  the 
authorifed  expounders  of  the  law  of  Mo- 
fes,  together  with  their  perfonal  vices, 
was  certainly  hazardous.  The  general 
objecl:  of  his  preaching  was  to  inculcate 
the  ftricleft  and  pureft  morality,  fuch  as 
is  found  in  the  antient  prophets.  But  he 
drew  the  attention  of  his  hearers  in  a  more 
particular  manner  to  a  future  ftate,  much 
more  than  had  been  done  by  any  of  the 
prophets  who  had  preceded  him. 

The  doclrine  of  a  refurreftion  was  at 
that  time  the  general  belief  of  the  Jewifh 
nation,  as  it  continues  to  be  at  this  day. 
But  what  he  aflerted  of  himfelf  being  ap 
pointed  to  raife  all  the  dead,  and  to  judge 
the  world,  muft  have  appeared  in  the 
higheft  degree  extravagant,  and  revolting, 
without  the  moft  evident  teftimonials  of  a 
divine  authority  for  fuch  high  pretenfions. 
What  could  an  impoftor,  who  muft  have 
known  that  he  had  no  authority  for  fuch  a 

claim, 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  367 

claim,  if  fuch  an  idea  could  have  been  en 
tertained  by  him  (which,  however  mull  be 
confeiTed  to  be  very  improbable)  have  ex 
pected,  but  that,  on  the  firft  hearing  of 
fuch  pretenfions,  his  audience  would  have 
turned  from  him  with  derifion.  His  pre 
tending  to  a  kingdom,  and  a  kingdom  not 
of  this  world,  but  in  another,  after  he 
ihould  be  dead,  was  alfo  more  likely  to 
expofe  him  to  contempt,  than  to  procure 
him  relpect.  And  this  declaration  was 
made  by  Jefus  when  he  was  before  a  court 
of  judicature,  expecting  immediate  death. 
That,  notwithstanding  thefe  circumftances, 
Jefus  did  not  appear  an  obj eel:  of  contempt, 
but  attracted  the  moft  refpeclful  attention, 
and  had  many  difciples  while  living,  and 
many  more  after  he  was  dead,  has  furely 
in  it  fomething  very  extraordinary,  and 
well  deferving  to  be  enquired  into;  great 
effects  always  implying  great  caufes.  All 
thefe  circumftances  certainly  Ihew  that  Je 
fus  \vas  confcious  to  himfelf  of  having  ad 
vantages  fufficient  to  counterbalance  all 
the  difadvantages  he  lay  under,  and  his 

fuccefs 


368  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

fuccefs  proves  that  he  was  really  pofieffed 
of  them. 

3.  Still  more  extraordinary  was  it  that 
fuch  £  perfon  as  Jefus  ihould  have  extend 
ed  his  views  beyond  his  own  country,  as 
it  is  evident  that  he  did  when  he  directed 
his  difciples  to  profelyte  and  baptize  all  nations, 
and  when  he  foretold  the  univerfal  fpread 
of  his  religion,  which,  though  inconfidera- 
ble  in  its  rife,  like  a  grain  of  muftard  feed, 
or  a  fmall  quantity  of  leaven,  wras  deftined 
to  embrace  the  whole  world.  No  other 
Jew,  of  any  rank  or  chara&er,  had  talked 
in  this  manner  before;  and  confidering  the 
extreme  contempt  in  which  the  Jews  muft 
have  known  that  they  were  held  by  other 
nations,  except  by  the  few  whom  they  had 
profelyted,  any  Jew  muft  have  known  that 
a  perfon  of  his  nation  undertaking  any  thing 
confiderable,  was  likely  to  meet  with  the 
tvorft  reception,  and  nothing  more  offen- 
five,  6r  more  hazardous,  could  have  been 
undertaken  by  any  man. 

The  objecl:  of  the  religion  of  Jefus, 
was  nothing  lefs  than  to  overturn  all  the 

eftablilhed 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  369 

eftablifhed  fyftems  of  religion  then  fubfifting 
in  the  world,  fyftems  always  moft  inti 
mately  connefted  with  civil  policy,  and  as 
fuch  moft  vigilantly  guarded  by  all  the 
power  of  the  refpec~Hve  ftates,  and,  as  was 
then  univerfally  thought,  with  the  greateft 
reafon;  it  being  taken  for  granted,  that 
their  temporal  profperity  depended  upon 
the  obfervance  of  the  rites  tranfmitted  to 
all  nations  by  their  remote  anceftors.  The 
philofophers,  who  defpifed  thefe  rites,  ne 
ver  ventured  to  hint  at  the  propriety,  or 
the  fafety,  of  difcontinuing  them;  and  the 
few  who  incautioufly  fpake  with  difrefpecl 
of  them  were  charged  with  atheifm,  and 
had  been  put  to  death,  or  banifhed.  We 
may,  and  juftly  do,  laugh  at  the  religion 
of  the  Greeks  and  Romans,  and  that  of  the 
reft  of  the  heathen  world,  as  fyftems  of 
the  moft  wretched  fuperftition;  but  they 
were  ferious  things  with  themfelves;  and 
befides  their  reputed  facrednefs,  and  the 
general  dread  of  a  negleft  of  them,  they 
mixed  with  all  their  habits  of  life. 


In 


3;o  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

In  all  antient  nations  all  occafions  of 
joy  or  forrow,  andalmoft  every  tranfaclion 
of  a  civil  nature,  partook  of  their  religion; 
but  more  efpecially  was  every  feafon  of 
feftivity,  to  which  they  were  moft  paffion- 
ately  attached,  a  religious  aft.  Even  the 
theatrical  exhibitions  of  the  Greeks  and 
Romans,  calculated  to  entertain  perfons  of 
the  moft  refined  tafte,  as  well  as  the  fefti- 
vals  of  Bacchus  and  Venus,  which  gratified 
the  lewdeft  and  moft  debauched  of  the 
vulgar,  were  equally  in  honour  of  their 
gods.  Alfo  all  their  moft  admired  poems 
were  with  them,  as  with  other  nations, 
tinctured  with  their  religion  ;  fo  that  with 
out  a  knowledge  of  their  religion,  it  is  not 
now  poffible  to  underftand  them.  I  can 
not,  indeed,  give  a  juft  idea  of  the  extreme 
difficulty  of  the  undertaking  to  overturn 
the  religion  of  the  fever al  ftates  of  anti 
quity,  without  entering  into  a  detail  of 
particulars,  too  long  for  any  difcourfe. 
Only  perfons  well  acquainted  with  anti 
quity,  will  ever  conceive  it. 

This 


REVEALED     RELIGION.  371 

This  being  the  cafe,  to  change  the  re 
ligion  of  a  people  was,   in  a  manner,    to 
make  them  over  again.      To  fubdue  them 
by   force    of   arms    muft    have    appeared 
much  more  eafy.      There  is  not,    indeed, 
a  fingle  inftance   in  all  antient   hiftory,   of 
a  nation  changing  their  religion  from  per- 
fuafion    or    example.         It    is    what     the 
greateft   calamities,    and  the  approach  of 
extermination  has  not  been  able  to  effecl. 
The  cafe   of  the  Jews  is  the  only  excep 
tion  on  record.   For  they  were  ever  ready 
to  adopt  the  religion  of    the  neighbouring 
nations.      But  then  their  remote  anceftors 
in  Mefopotamia,  according  to  Jofhua,  and 
themfelves  in  Egypt,  had  been  addicted  to 
them.      Though  the  Egyptians  faw  the  in 
ability  of  their  gods  to  fave  them  from  a 
feries     of    the     greateft    calamities,     and 
though  the    Canaanites    found  that  theirs 
could   not    prevent    their    expulfion    from 
their  country,   and  their  almoft  extermina 
tion,  both  the  Egyptians  and  the  remains 
of  the  Canaanites,   appear  to  have   conti 
nued  as  much  attached  to  their  feveral  re- 

ligicns 


37*  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

ligions  as  ever.  They  would  rather  fup- 
pofe  that  their  gods  were  angry  \vith 
them,  and  had  for  that  time  deferted 
them,  than  imagine  that  they  had  not 
been  able  to  defend  them,  or  that  the  gods 
of  other  nations  (whofe  power  they  never 
called  in  queftion)  had  in  that  particular 
prevailed  over  theirs.  For  no  heathen  na 
tion  in  all  antiquity  excluded  the  agency 
of  fuperior  powers  in  any  event,  public  or 
private.  The  events  of  battles,  though 
moft  evidently  depending  on  the  conduct 
of  the  generals,  and  the  valour  of  the 
combatants,  were  always  afcribed  to  the 
fecret  interference  of  the  gods. 

The  prophet  Jeremiah,  exprefles  in 
very  emphatic al  language,  the  extraordi 
nary  cafe  of  the  Ifraelites  in  revolting  from 
their  religion,  Chap.  ii.  10.  Pafs  over  the 
ijks  ofChittim,  and  fee,  and  find  unto  Ke.dar, 
and  confuler  diligently,  and  fie  if  there  be  Jucb 
a  tiling.  Hath  a  nation  changed  their  gods, 
-which  are  yet  no  gods;  but  my  people  have 
changed  their  glory  for  that  which  doth  not  fro- 

ft." 

In 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  375 

In  thofe  circumftances,  fuch  an  under 
taking  as  that  of  Jefus,  of  the  magnitude 
of  which  it  is  not  eafy  for  us  at  this  day  to 
form  an  idea,  muft  furely  have  appeared 
impoflible  to  a  Jewifh  carpenter.  Or  if, 
from  ignorance,  he  had  conceived  fuch  an 
idea,  he,  or  his  followers,  would  foonhave 
found  the  impra&ic  ability  of  it,  without 
divine  aid.  Jefus  himfelf  did  not  go  be 
yond  the  bounds  of  his  own  country,  but 
no  fooner  did  the  apoftles  begin  to  preach 
to  other  nations,  and  appeared  to  be 
fomething  different  from  Jews  (whofe 
privileges  and  cuftoms  had  been  long  tole 
rated,  without  any  ferious  inconvenience 
arifing  from  it)  than  they  found,  that  if 
they  perfifted,  it  muft  be  at  the  hazard 
of  every  thing  dear  to  them  in  life,  and  of 
life  itfelf.  And  with  thefe  difficulties  the 
preachers  of  chriftianity  actually  ftruggled 
about  three  hundred  years;  when  the 
whole  fyftem  of  heathenifm,  which  had 
prevailed  from  time  immemorial,  in  the 
whole  extent  of  the  Roman  empire,  hav 
ing  been  gradually  undermined,  gave  way 

on 


374  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

on    the   converfion   of    Conftantme ;     and 
from  that  time,  nothing,   as  we   may  fay, 
remained  of  it,  but  ruins,  which  alfo  crum 
bled  away  and  difappeared  in  about  three 
hundred  years    more.      And  now  nothing 
more    remains   of  the  worfhip  of  Jupiter 
and  Juno,  Apollo  or  Bacchus,   than    if  it 
had  never  exifted.      Thefe  celebrated  dei 
ties  are  gone  into   oblivion,   together  with 
Baal  of  the  Canaanites,   Ifis  and   Orifis  of 
the    Egyptians,     and    Thor    and    \Voden 
in  Europe.      It  is   only   in    hiftory,    and 
the    books   in    which  they   are   mention 
ed,   that  the   memory    of  them,    and  of 
the    horrid    and    abominable    rites     with 
which  they  were  worfhipped,  is  preferved. 
What  could  have  accompliilied  fo  great  a 
revolution,  a  revolution  far  more  ailonifh- 
ing   than  any    that  has  ever  been  effected 
by  policy  or  by  arms,  but  a  power  not  lefs 
than  divine,    accompanying  Jefus  and  the 
apoftles  ? 

The  revolution  produced  by  Maho 
met  had  nothing  it  in  approaching  to  this. 
He  did  not  queilion  the  divine  origin  of 

the 


REVEALED     RELIGION.  37; 

the  Jewifli  or  Chriftian  religions.  He 
only  pretended  that  his  own  was  derived 
from  the  fame  fource,  fo  that  he  had  no 
occafion  to  work  any  miracles.  Idola 
ters,  indeed  (who,  however,  do  not  ap 
pear  to  have  been  very  numerous)  he  fub- 
dued  by  force,  but  Jews  and  Chriftians, 
unable  to  treat  them  in  the  fame  manner, 
he  tolerated.  When  the  Mahometan 
power  was  fully  eftablifhed,  and  the  ca 
liphs  of  Bagdathad  long  made  the  greateft 
figure  of  any  princes  in  the  Eaftern  world, 
and  their  fubje&s  had  attained  a  high  de 
gree  of  civilization,  fome  Tartar  nations 
emerging  from  barbarifm,  adopted  their 
religion ;  as  the  Tartars  who  conquered 
China,  adopted  the  inftitutions  of  the  Chi- 
nefe,  and  the  Romans  the  literature  and 
philofophy  of  the  Greeks.  In  this  there 
is  nothing  at  all  extraordinary.  But  the 
Greeks  and  Romans  changed  their  reli 
gion  for  the  Chriftian  when  they  were  the 
•moft  learned  and  civilized,  and  the  Jews,  in 
their  opinion,  the  moft  ignorant,  and  the 
moft  defpifed  of  all  nations,  and  the  preach 
ers 


376  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

ers  of  chriftianity  were  at  firft  of  the  moft 
illiterate  of  that  defpifed  nation.  This  is  a 
fact  that  cannot  be  contradicted;  and 
having  no  parallel  in  the  hiftory  of  man^ 
kind,  is  certainly  deferving  of  particular 
attention. 

3.    With  all    thefe    difficulties  before 
him,  from  the  nature  of  his  undertaking, 
and  the  people  whom  he  had  to  gain  to 
his  purpofe,  Jefus  promiled  to  his  difciples 
nothing  at  all  in  this  world,  but   only  in 
another.      On  the  contrary,  he  frequently 
apprized  them,    that  if  they  adhered    tQ 
him,   they  had  nothing  to  expert  in    this 
life,  but  perfecution,   and  many  of  them 
that  violent    death  to  which    he    himfelf 
was  deftined.      This  is  a  kind  of  conduft 
which  muft  certainly  be  deemed   in    the 
higheft   degree    prepofterous,     and    unac~ 
countable,  in  an  impoftor,  who,  whatever 
he  gave  out,  could  not  have  had  a  view  to 
any  thing  but  fome  advantage  in  this  life. 
It  muft  have  been  to  facrifice  himfelf  and 
his  followers,  for  whom  it  is  evident  li£ 
had  the  greateft  affection,,  for  no  advan 
tage 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  379 

tage  whatever,  to  himfelf  or  them,  which 
is  what  any  man  muft  pronounce  to  be  ab- 
folutely  impoffible. 

That  a  great  number  of  perfons  Ihould 
deliberately  abandon  themfelves  to  perfecu- 
tion  and  certain  death,  in  order  to  eftablifh 
a  fcheme  which  they  conceived  to  be  fa 
vourable  to  the  happinefs  of  mankind,  is 
not  to  be  admitted.  That  a  fingle  perfon 
fhould  devote  himfelf  to  prefent  death, 
when  immediate  and  great  glory  would 
certainly  accrue  to  himfelf,  and  an  ample 
recompence  to  his  family,  is  poflible,  though 
examples  of  it  are  uncertain  and  rare. 
But  that  many  perfons  fhould  do  this,  when 
the  profpeft  of  fame  to  themfelves,  and 
of  advantage  to  their  families,  was  diftant 
and  uncertain,  and  when  for  the  prefent, 
and  an  indefinite  length  of  time,  contempt 
would  be  joined  to  their  other  fufferings, 
is  impoffible  while  human  nature  is  what 
we  know  it  to  be.  Such  conduct  would  be 
deemed  to  be  nothing  lefs  than  -infamy ;  and 
that  a  number  of  perfons  fhould'  be  infane 
in  exaclly  the  fame  way,  and  infecl  thou- 

G  g  fands 


380  THE     EVIDENCES    OF 

fands  with  the  fame  fpecies  of  the  diforder, 
would  be  moft  miraculous. 

That  Jefus  did  expeft  a  violent  death 
for  himfelf,  and  that  he  apprized  his  fol 
lowers  that  many  of  them  muft  expedt  the 
fame,  appears  from  the  whole  courfe  of 
his  hiftory.  It  was  not  a  thought  that  oc 
curred  to  him  only  juft  before  his  death, 
and  which  he  had  not  time  to  reflect  upon; 
but  it  appears  that  it  was  what  he  had  ftea- 
dily  in  view,  fo  as  to  have  had  an  oppor 
tunity  of  confidering  it  in  all  its  terrors, 
and  all  its  confequences,  from  the  very  be 
ginning  of  his  miniftry,  and  what  he  in 
good  time  informed  his  difciples  of.  Some 
time  before  his  laft  journey  to  Jerufalem, 
it  is  faid,  Matt.  xvi.  21.  From  that  time 
began  Jefus  to  fiew  to  his  difciples  how  that  he 
muft  go  up  to  Jerufalem,  and  ftiffer  many  things 
of  the  elders,  and  chief  priefts,  and  the  fcribes, 
and  be  killed,  and  be  raifed  again  the  third  day. 
This,  as  was  natural,  ftaggered  his  difciples, 
who  at  that  time  expe&ed  preferment  in 
the  kingdom  which  they  believed  he  was 
about  to  ere&,  and  Peter  faid  unto  him, 

This 


REVEALED     RELIGION.  3Si 

This  be  far  from  tbee  Lord.  But  Jefus,  fo  far 
from  palliating  the  matter,  and  endeavour 
ing  to  foften  it,  and  reconcile  their  minds  to 
it,  replied,  Get  thee  behind  me  fat  an,  thou  art  an 
offence  unto  me.  For  thou  favour  eft  not  the  things 
that  are  of  God,  but  thofe  that  be  of  men;  and 
turning  to  his  difciples,  he  faid,  If  any  man 
will  come  after  me,  let  him  take  up  his  crofs  and 
follow  me.  For  whojbever  will  fave  his  life,  Jhall 
lofe  it,  and  whofoever  will  lofe  his  life  for  my 
fake  Jhall  find  it.  On  another  occafion  he 
faid,  Matt.  x.  38.  He  that  taketh  not  his  crofs 
and  followeth  after  me,  is  not  worthy  of  me. 
On  all  proper  occafions  he  clearly  apprized 
his  difciples  that  in  this  world  they  had 
nothing  better  to  expect  than  the  treatment 
that  he  himfelf  met  with.  For  when  the 
fons  of  Zebedee,  James  and  John,  applied 
to  him  for  the  chief  feats  in  his  kingdom, 
he  faid,  Matt.  xx.  22.  Te  know  not  what  ye 
ajk.  Are  ye  able  to  drink  of  the  cup  that  I  flail 
drink  of,  and  to  be  baptized  with  the  baptifm 
that  I  Jhall  bebaptifed  with?  And  when  they 
faid,  we  are  able,  he  faid,  Te  flail  indeed 
drink  of  my  cup,  and  be  baptized  with  the  bap- 

G  g  2  tifm 


382  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

tifm  that  I  am  baptized  with.  When  he  fore 
told  the  deftru&ion  of  Jerufalem,  he  faid 
to  the  apoftles,  Matt.  xxiv.  o.  Then  flail 
they  deliver  you  up  to  be  afflifled,  and  flail  kill 
you,  and  ye  flail  be  hated  of  all  men  for  my 
name9 s  fake.  By  way  of  encouragement  to 
bear  all  this,  he  could  only  fay,  and  this 
he  did  in  his  fir  ft  public  difcourfe  from  the 
mount,  Matt.  v.  10.  Bleffed  are  they  that 
are  pcrfecuted  for  right eoufnefs  fake,  for  theirs 
is  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  BleJJed  are  ye  -when 
men  flail  revile  you ,  and  perfccute  you,  and  fay 
all  manner  of  evil  againjl  you  falfely  for  my  fake. 
Rejoice  and  be  exceedingly  glad,  for  great  is  your 
reward  in  heaven. 

What  could  any  man  expect  from  this 
mode  of  addrefs,  from  which  Jefiis  never 
varied,  but  that  his  hearers,  who  looked 
for  nothing  but  worldly  advantage  (which 
at  firft  was  the  cafe  of  the  apoftles  them- 
felves)  finding  that  he  had  nothing  of  that 
kind  to  offer  them,  would  turn  from  him 
with  indignation  and  contempt.  Difap- 
pointed  in  their  fond  profpects,  what  could 
have  kept  them  with  him  but  a  firm  per- 

fualion 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  383 

fuafion  that  he  had  a  divine  miffion,  and 
therefore  that  it  was  their  duty  to  follow 
him  implicitly,  confident  that,  in  fome 
way  or  other,  of  which  they  had  no  idea, 
they  would  in  the  end  find  their  account 
in  it.  Notwithstanding  his  perfifting  in 
difclaiming  all  pretenfions  of  a  temporal 
nature,  they  did  not  abandon  the  expecta 
tions  they  had  entertained ;  ftill  flattering 
themfelves  that  though  he  did  not  acquaint 
them  with  it,  he  would  at  a  proper  time 
affume  kingly  power.  But  when  he  was 
apprehended  as  a  malefaclor,  which  did 
not  at  all  furprize  or  difconcert  him,  they 
allforfook  him  and  fled;  while  he  with  a  pain 
ful  and  ignominous  death  before  his  eyes, 
met  his  dreadful  fate  with  the  greateft  com- 
pofure,  and  went  through  the  whole  of 
the  trying  fcene  without  giving  the  lead 
fuipicion  that  he  wifhed  to  avoid  it.  Natu 
rally  indeed  he  did,  and  therefore  he  pray 
ed  that  the  bitter  cup  might  fafs  from  him. 
But  he  immediately  added,  hit  not  as  I  -will, 
but  as  thou  iuilt.  Surely  this  behaviour  was 
very  unlike  that  of  an  impoflor. 

This 


384  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

This  was  far  from  being  the  conduct 
of  Mahomet.  Befides  promifmg  his  fol 
lowers  the  enjoyment  of  every  luxury  of 
life,  and  efpecially  that  of  women  (free, 
as  he  frequently  repeats  it,  from  impuri 
ty,)  he  did  not  fail  to  hold  out  to  them 
fomething  worth  fighting  for  in  this  world. 
Neither  himfelf,  nor  any  of  his  immediate 
followers,  were  voluntary  martyrs  to  their 
religion. 

As  Jefus  did  not  fail  to  apprize  his 
followers  of  the  dangers,  and  the  incon 
venience,  to  which  their  adherence  to  him 
would  expofe  them,  he  did  not  conceal  the 
great  evils  which  would  attend  the  propo- 
gation  of  his  religion,  though  it  would 
ultimately  be  in  the  higheft  degree  benefi 
cial  to  the  world,  and  would  finally  pre 
vail  in  it.  Think  not,  fays  he,  Matt.  x. 
30,  that  I  am  come  to  fend  peace  on  earth.  I 
came  not  to  fend  peace,  hit  a  fivord.  For  I  am 
come  to  fet  a  man  at  variance  again  ft  his  father , 
and  the  daughter  again/I  her  mother,  and  the 
daughter-in-law  againft  her  mother-in-law,  and 
a  man9 s  foes  flail  be  they  of  his  own  houfehold, 

v.  21. 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  385 

v.  2 1 .  The  brother  Jhall  deliver  up  the  brother 
to  death,  and  the  father  the  cbild;  and  children 
flail  rife  up  agamjl  their  parents  and  caufe  them 
to  be  put  to  death ,  and  ye  Jhall  be  hated  of  all 
men  for  my  name's  fake.  Surely  fuch  difcourfes 
as  this  was  not  likely  to  recommend  his 
religion,  or  invite  followers. 

4.  An  artful  impoftor,  would  proba 
bly  havefecrets  and  confidental  friends,  to 
whom  he  would  intruft  what  he  did  not 
choofe  to  communicate  to  others,  though 
this  is  not  neceflary  to  every  impoftor.  But 
Jefus  had  no  fecrets,  nor  does  there  appear 
to  have  been  any  perfons  to  whom  he  com 
municated  what  he  concealed  from  others. 
When  his  audience  difcovered  great  per- 
verfenefs,  and  a  difpofition  to  cavil,  he 
fpake  to  them  in  parables,  but  he  after 
wards  explained  the  meaning  of  them  to 
his  apoftles,  one  of  whom  was  Judas,  who, 
as  he  betrayed  him,  would,  no  doubt, 
have  divulged  whatever  he  had  known  to 
his  prejudice.  In  the  general  inftrucTions 
which  Jefus  gave  his  apoftles,  he  dire&ed 
them  to  publiih  to  the  world  every  thing 

that 


386  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

that  they  had  heard  from  him  without  ex 
ception.  Matt.  x.  27.  What  I  tell  you  in 
darknefs,  that  fpeak  ye  in  the  light ;  and  what 
ye  hear  in  the  ear,  that  preach  ye  on  the  houje 
tops. 

The  only  fecret  that  Jefus  had,  was 
not  his  pretenfions  to  a  divine  miffioii  (for 
this  he  always  openly  aflerted,  and  ap 
pealed  to  his  miracles  for  the  evidence  of 
it)  but  to  his  being  the  Meffiah,  announced 
in  the  antient  prophets.  But  this  was  only 
for  fear  of  exciting  an  alarm  which  would 
have  done  no  good,  and  at  a  proper  time 
he  declared  this  to  all  the  apoftles,  and  to 
Judas  among  them.  After  his  refurreftion 
and  afcenfion,  this  was  no  fecret  to  any 
perfon.  He  alfo  avowed  it  in  the  moft  fo- 
lemn  manner  at  his  trial  before  the  high- 
prieft. 

5.  Jefus  difcovered  no  anxiety  about 
the  evidence  of  his  divine  miffion,  which 
-would  have  been  natural  to  a  perfon  who 
had  been  confcious  to  himfelf  that  he  was 
unable  to  produce  any  that  was  fatisfa&ory. 
This  anxiety  appears  through  the  whole  of 

the 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  387 

the  Koran.  Mahomet's  aflertion  of  his 
divine  miflion,  of  the  chapters  in  the  Ko 
ran  being  fentto  him  from  heaven,  his  de 
nunciations  of  the  wrath  of  God,  and  of 
hell-fire  to  the  unbelievers,  are  repeated 
without  end,  fo  as  to  be  tirefome  in  the 
extreme.  What  he  wanted  in  evidence 
he  endeavoured  to  fupply  by  confident  af- 
fertions,  and  this,  together  with  the  fuc- 
cefs  of  the  battles  that  he  fought  fuffici- 
ently  anfwered  his  purpofe.  To  thefe  he 
appealed,  and  his  followers,  no  doubt, 
thought  that  God  would  not  give  fuch  fuc- 
cefs  to  a  mere  impoftor. 

On  the  contrary,  Jefus  never,  of  his 
own  accord,  faid  any  thing  about  his  mif- 
fion,  leaving  it  to  thofe  who  faw  his  mira 
cles  to  make  the  neceflary  inference  from 
them.  He  contented  himfelf  with  an- 
fwering  objections  as  they  were  made  to 
him;  and  as  his  miracles  were  never  quefti- 
oned,  he  eafily  fhewed  the  abfurdity  of 
every  thing  that  was  objected  to  them,  ef- 
pecially  that  of  his  cafting  out  demons  by 
Beelzebub.  With  great  dignity  he  obferv- 

ed 


388  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

ed,  on  one  of  thefe  occafions,  John  x.  25. 
that  the  -works  'which  his  father  gave  him  to  do, 
bare  witnefs  of  him;  and  in  anfwer  to  the 
clamorous  demand  of  a  fign  from  heaven, 
he  referred  them  Matt.  xii.  39.  to  the  fign 
of  the  prophet  Jonas,  faying  that  as  Jonas 
had  been  three  days  in  the  belly  of  a  fifh, 
he  fhould  remain  fo  long  in  the  ftate  of  the 
dead,  and  rife  again  on  the  third  day; 
which  it  appears  that  his  enemies  well  un- 
derftood,  by  the  precautions  they  took  to 
prevent  any  impofition  with  refpecl;  to  it. 

How  natural  was  this  conduct  on  the 
fuppofition  of  Jefus  having  been  confcious 
to  himfelf  that  he  had  a  commiffion  from 
God,  and  that  the  evidence  of  it,  which 
was  conftantly  before  the  world,  was  fuf- 
ficient  to  fatisfy  any  unprejudiced  perfon. 
Had  he  been  confcious  that  his  pretenfions 
were  deftitute  of  any  folid  proof,  he  would 
naturally  have  made  the  moll  of  any  falla 
cious  appearance  of  evidence  that  he  could 
produce,  as  Mahomet  did  of  his  victory  of 
Beder,  and  the  excellence  of  the  compofi- 
tion  of  the  Koran, 

6.  The 


REVEALED     RELIGION.  389 

6.      The  piety  obfervable  in  the  cha- 
rafter  of  Jefus  is  alone  a  proof,  to  thofe 
who  give  due  attention  to  the  human  cha- 
rafter,  that  he  was  no  impoftor.      That  he 
was  aftuated  by  the  genuine  fentiments  of 
piety,   appeared  in  all  his  difcourfes,    and 
the  whole   of  his  conduct.      He  not  only 
always  declared  that  he  came  to  do  tJ?e  will 
of  God  who  fcnt  him,  and  (Johnviv.  10.)  that 
the  father  within  him  did  the  works,   which 
evidenced  his  divine  miffion ;  but  it  is  evi 
dent  that,   as  the  Pfalmift  faid,  God  -was  in 
all  his  thoughts,   and  that  to  his  will  he  was 
at  all  times  refigned.     It  was,  as  we  read, 
Johniv.  34,   his  meat  and  drink  to  do  the  ivill 
of  him  that  fcnt  him.      He  was  frequeht  and 
earneft  in  prayer,  and  taught  his  difciples  to 
pray,  to  avoid  oftentation  in  prayer,  Matt, 
vi.  6.   to  go  into  their  clofetf,  and  Jhutting  the 
doors,  pray  to  their  father,  ivbo,  he  faid,  faw  in 
fecret.    Such  a  reverence  for  God,   and  de- 
votednefs  to  his  will,  in  life  and  in  death,  as 
Jefus   difcovered,    is   abfolutely   incompa 
tible  with    faife   pretenfions  to   a  miffion 
from  him,  whatever  might  be  his  object 
in  the  impoflure.      It  muft  have  appeared 

to 


39»  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

to  him  as  the  extreme  of  arrogance  and 
impiety,  fuch  as  could  not  fail  to  draw  af 
ter  it  the  divine  difpleafure,  and  the  hea- 
vieft  judgments. 

No  perfon  can  read  the  New  Tefta- 
ment,  and  imagine  that  Jefus  was  an  athe- 
ift,  or  an  unbeliever  in  a  future  ftate  of 
righteous  retribution.  Indeed,  it  is  not 
probable  that  there  were  any  proper  unbe 
lievers  among  the  Jews  in  his  time.  Even 
the  Sadducees  were  believers  in  the  being 
and  moral  government  of  God,  and  in  the 
divine  miffion  of  Mofes.  But  Jefus  was 
not  a  Sadducee.  He  was,  without  all 
queftion,  a  fincere  believer  in  the  doclrine 
that  he  taught.  And  that  he  was  fuch  an 
enthufiaft  as  to  imagine  that  he  had  thofe 
fupernatural  communications  to  which  he 
pretended  without  having  them,  is  even 
more  improbable  than  the  fuppofition  of 
his  having  been  an  impoftor.  If  ever  man 
was  in  his  right  mind,  and  knew  what 
he  was  about,  it  was  Jefus.  All  his  dif- 
courfes  and  actions  difcover  the  greateft 
calmnefs  and  compofure,  and  favour  no 
thing  of  extravagance,  w7hich  fo  egregious 

an 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  391 

an  enthufiaft  could  not  always  have  con 
cealed.  All  his  difcourfes  are  perfectly 
rational,  and  his  whole  conduct  was  of  a 
piece  with  them;  fo  that,  if  he  had  no  di 
vine  miflion,  he  muft  have  been  not  an  en- 
tbufiafly  who  had  impofed  upon  himfelf, 
but  properly  an  impoftor,  who  endeavoured 
to  impofe  upon  the  world;  and  whether 
this  fuppofition  be  at  all  tenable,  let  any 
perfon,  at  all  acquainted  with  human  na 
ture,  now  judge. 

Befides  the  piety  of  Jefus,  he  was  evi 
dently  a  man  of  great  benevolence,  and 
had  a  ftrong  fentirnent  of  friendfhip  for 
his  apoftles  and  others.  And  it  cannot  be 
fuppofed  that  fuch  a  perfon  would  pur- 
pofely  deceive  and  miflead  his  country 
men  and  friends.  Importers  have  callous 
hearts.  Intent  upon  their  fchemes,  they 
are  deaf  to  ever  other  confideration. 

Jefus  gave  many  proofs  of  the  ftrongeft 
and  tendered  affection.  When  he  came 
within  fight  of  Jerufalem,  he  ivept  over  it, 
in  the  profpect  of  the  calamities  that 
awaited  it.  He  wept  at  the  grave  of  La 
zarus, 


393  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

zarus,   and  his  difcourfes  to  his  apoftles   a 
little  before  his  death   difcover  the  moft 
amiable   fympathy,   and  concern,   without 
the  leaft  regard  to  his  own  approaching 
fufferings.      He  was  only  occupied  with  the 
idea   of  what    they  would  feel  when  he 
was  removed  from  them.      We    fee  no 
thing  like  this  in  the  conduct  of  Mahomet. 
Though  Jefus  affected  no  aufterity,  he 
was  free  from  all  fenfual  indulgence,  which 
was  by  no  means  the  cafe  of  Mahomet ; 
and  he  certainly  did  not  aim  at  temporal 
power,  but  refolutely  declined  feveral  pro- 
pofals  of  the  multitude  to  make  him  a  king. 
What,   then,    could  an  impoflor,  without 
ambition,  or  perfonal  indulgence,   aim  at? 
Jefus,    being  a  man,  muft  have  had  fome 
fuch  objects  as  other  men  have ;  but  there 
was  nothing  that  other  men  moft   covet 
that  his  conduct  was  at  all  adapted  to  gain. 
He  muft,   therefore,  have  had  views  of  a 
higher  nature.      On  any  other  hypothefis 
his  conduct  is  abfolutely  unaccountable;  but 
on  the  fuppofition  of  his  being  confcious  of 
having  a  divine  million,   and  of  a  ftation 

of 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  393 

of  honour  and  power  deflined  for  him  in  a 
future  world,  all  his  difcourfes,  and  his 
whole  conduct,  are  perfectly  natural.  For 
the  joy  that  -was  fet  before  him  (Heb.  xii.  2.) 
he  endured  the  crofs,  de/pifing  the  fhame  of  that 
ignominous  death  ;  but  that  he  ftiould  have 
done  this  without  having  had  in  view  any 
thing  that  any  other  man  ever  thought 
worth  purfuing,  is  not  to  be  fuppofed  of 
him,  or  of  any  man. 

Let  all  thefe  circumftances  be  duly 
confidered,  the  obfcure  birth,  and  mean 
occupation  of  Jefus,  in  a  diflant  and  de- 
fpifed  country,  his  high  pretenfions  to  be  the 
Jewifh  Meffiah,  without  any  affumption  of 
kingly  power,  univerfally  deemed  to  be 
mod  eflential  to  that  character,  his  claim 
to  a  kingdom  though  not  of  this  world, 
and  to  the  power  of  raifing  the  dead  and 
judging  the  world,  when  he  had  nothing 
but  the  certain  pr.ofpecl  of  a  violent  deatli 
before  him  ;  his  undertaking  to  overthrow 
all  the  religions  of  the  heathen  world, 
firmly  attached  as  the  fever al  nations  were 
to  them,  religions  which  had  kept  their 

ground 


394  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

ground  from  time  immemorial,  notwith- 
ftanding   a  long  period  now  boafted  of  as 
the  moft  enlightened  of  any  till  the  prefent ; 
when   there  had  not  been  from  the  begin 
ning  of  the  world  an  example  of  any  na 
tion   voluntarily  changing    their    religion; 
his  holding  out  to  his  difciples  nothing  but 
perfecution  in  this   world,    and  happinefs 
in   another;   his  having  no  fecrets;  his  dif- 
covering  no  anxiety  about  the  evidences  of 
.  his  divine  miffion,  joined  with  his  calm  good 
fenfe,  his  exalted  piety,   his  general  bene 
volence,  and  the  ftrong  affeclion  he  always 
ihewed  to  his  friends  and  followers ;  let  all 
thefe  circumflances,    I  fay,   be  coiifldered 
and,  without  attending  to  his  miracles ,  and 
his  fuccefs,   it  muft  furely  be  thought  im- 
poflible  that  this  man  could  have  been  an  im- 
poftor,  and  meant  to  deceive  the  world.  This 
internal    evidence  added  to  the  external,  on 
which  I  have  already  enlarged,   viz.  from 
miracles,   and  prophecy,   muft  be  abundantly 
fufficient  to  fatisfy  any  reafonable  and  can 
did  inquirer,   with  refpecl  to  the  truth  of 
chriftianity,    and    of    revealed  religion  in 
general. 


DISCOURSE    XIII. 

The  moral  influence  of  Cbriftian  Principles 


If  ye  know  thefe  things,  happy  are  ye  if  ye  do  them. 

JOHN.  xiii.  17. 

IN   the    Difcourfes  which   I  have 
already  delivered,    on  the   fubjecl  of   the 
evidences  of  revealed  religion,    I  firft  endea 
voured  to  (hew  the  value  of  religion  in  ge 
neral,   then  the   fuperior  value   of  revealed 
religion,  compared  with  that  which  is  called 
natural.  After  this  I  gave  you  a  view  of  the 
ftate  of  the  heathen  world  with  refpeft  to 
religion,  and  to  philofophy  alfo  as  conne&ed 
with  religion;  and  the  great  fuperiority  of 
the  fyftem  of  Mofes,  which  has  been  moil 
objected  to  by  unbelievers,   in  both  thofe 
refpefts.      I  then  proceeded  to  explain  the 
direct,   or  external,  evidence  of  the  Jewifh 
H  h  and 


396  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

and  chriftian  religions,  from  miracles,  and 
from  prophecy  ;  and  in  the  laft  place,  as  a 
part  of  the  internal  evidence,  I  fhewed, 
from  the  circumftances  of  the  hiftory  of 
Jefus,  the  impoffibility  of  his  having  been 
an  imp  oft  or. 

Having  thus  finifhed  the  argumentative 
part  of  my  undertaking,  I  now  proceed 
to  conclude  the  whole  with  fome  obferva- 
tions  of  a  practical  nature. 

i .  If  revealed  religion  be  true,  it  muft 
be  of  great  importance,  and  demand  our 
clofeft  attention.  It  may  well,  indeed,  be 
prefumed,  that  if  the  divine  Being,  the 
great  author  of  univerfal  nature,  has  in- 
terpofed  in  fo  extraordinary  a  manner  as 
has  been  reprefented,  in  a  fcheme  com 
mencing  with  our  firft  parents,  carried  on 
through  the  difpenfation  of  Mofes,  continu 
ed  by  Jefus  Chrift,  and  to  be  refumed  at  his 
fecond  coming,  the  object  muft  be  fomething 
of  the  greateft  importance  to  the  duty  and 
the  happinefs  of  man ;  and  it  cannot  be 
without  hazard  to  ourfelves  if  we  neglecl, 
and  rejecl;  it. 

The 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  397 

ie  moft  interefling  article  in  the 
fcheme  of  revelation  is  the  do&rine  of  a 
future  jlate.  And  furely,  if  there  really  be 
a  future  ftate  for  man,  if  it  be  of  much 
longer  continuance  than  the  prefent, 
efpecially  if  it  is  to  laft  for  ever,  and  if 
our  well  being  in  that  ftate  will  depend  on 
our  behaviour  in  this,  it  behoves  us  to  pay 
much  more  attention  to  it,  than  to  any 
thing  in  this  fhort  and  tranfitory  life.  Did 
any  perfon  now  living  in  this  country  cer 
tainly  know  that  he  muft  foon  leave  it,  and 
go  to  another,  for  example  to  France, 
where  he  had  the  profpeft  of  fucceeding 
to  a  large  eftate,  would  he  not  be  thinking 
of  his  voyage,  and  making  preparations 
for  it  ?  Would  he  not  be  learning  the 
French  language,  and  endeavouring  in  every 
other  way  to  provide  for  his  enjoyment  of 
life  in  that  diftant  country  ?  And  would  a 
man  be  commended  for  his  prudence  in 
this  cafe,  and  blamed  for  fuperftition  and 
folly  in  another  cafe  exaclly  fimilar  to  it  ? 
Or  would  you  not  think  a  man  infane  who 
fhould  forget  a  journey  he  was  upon,  and 
H  h  2  take 


398  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

take  up  with  his  inn;  and  not  think  it 
reafonable  that  a  man  who  believes  he  is 
travelling  towards  an  eternal  world,  fhould 
have  his  attention  fixed  upon  it,  and  make 
light  of  any  inconvenience  he  met  with  in 
his  way  thither  ? 

Surely,   then,  it  becomes  Chriftians, 

who  profefs  themfelves  to  be  pilgrims  and 

fir  angers  here,   and  citizens  of  heaven,   to  be 

thinking  of   their    proper    country,    and 

preparing  for  their  remove  to  it. 

Men  of  the  world  naturally  fay,  let 
us  cat  and  drink  jor  to-morrow  we  die.  This 
is  the  great  burden  of  the  fong  with  all  the 
heathen  poets.  But  the  Chriftian  as  natu 
rally  fays  with  the  apoftlePaul,  Phil.  iv.j. 
Let  your  moderation  be  known  unto  all  men,  the 
Lord  is  at  hand. 

To  ufe  one  example  more.  If  you 
knew  that  any  particular  child  would  die 
at  a  certain  age,  as  at  ten  or  twelve,  you 
would  adapt  his  education,  and  your  whole 
treatment  of  him  accordingly,  and  not 
trouble  him  with  making  him  learn  things 
'  which  he  would  have  no  occafion  for  till 

he 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  399 

he  was  a  man.  But  hoping  and  expefting 
that  your  children  will  grow  to  man's 
eflate,  you  reafonably  endeavour  to  qua 
lify  them  for  it,  and  would  be  univerfally 
blamed  if  you  did  not. 

Let  us,  then,  believing  that  we  are 
botn  for  immortality,  overlook  the  tranfi- 
tory  enjoyments  and  purfuits  of  this  uncer 
tain  life,  and,  inftead  of  laying  up  (Matt, 
vi.  IQ.)  treafures  on  earth, /where  moth  and  rujl 
corrupt,  and  where  thieves  break  through  and 
fteal,  lay  up  treafures  in  heaven,  where  none 
of  thefe  inconveniences  happen,  and  where 
our  treafure  is,  there  let  our  hearts  be  alfo. 

2.  If  a  life  of  virtue  will  alone  enfure  our 
happinefs  hereafter,  and  vice  our  mifery, 
it  certainly  follows,  that  virtue  is  our 
greateft  good,  and  vice  our  greateft  evil. 
Confequently,  our  principal  endeavour 
through  life,  fliould  be  the  improvement 
of  our  moral  character,  to  reftrain  every 
propenfity  to  the  irregular  indulgence  oF 
our  appetites  and  paffions,  to  cultivate 
every  generous  fentiment  of  equity  and 
humanity  to  our  fellow-creatures,  and 

habitual 


400  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

habitual  piety  to  God.  Every  thing  elfe 
fhould  in  reafon  be  made  fubfervient  to 
this  one  great  end  of  human  life.  To  be 
rich,  or  to  be  poor,  to  be  mafter,  or  to  be 
fervant,  to  be  healthy  or  difeafed,  are 
mere  trifles,  and  wholly  infignificant,  com 
pared  with  a&ing  our  part  in  life  well, 
whatever  that  part  be,  that  of  a  king  or 
of  a  beggar,  becaufe  it  is  upon  our  afting 
the  part  affigned  us  well,  and  not  at  all 
upon  the  nature  or  comparative  dignity 
of  it,  that  our  future  well-being  will  de 
pend. 

3.  In  fuch  a  world  as  this,  in  which 
it  has  pleafed  divine  providence,  and,  no 
doubt,  with  the  greateft  wifdom,  to  place 
us,  a  ft  ate  of  trial  and  of  difcipline,  a 
ftate  in  which  temptations  to  vice  and 
excefs  of  every  kind  are  continually  before 
us,  conftant  vigilance,  and  the  moft  ftrenu- 
ous  exertion,  are  abfolutely  neceflary.  In 
youth  the  love  of  pleafure,  in  more  ad 
vanced  years  objefts  of  ambition  and 
avarice,  have  ftrong  charms  for  men  ;  and 
the  love  of  thefe  things  cannot  be  kept 

within 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  401 

within  due  bounds  without  the  moft  unre- 
rnitted  attention,  till  a  habit  of  moderation 
and  felf  government  be  acquired  and  con 
firmed.  This  habit  once  formed  not  only 
takes  away  all  pain  of  reftraint,  but 
converts  our  duty  into  pleafure.  But, 
then,  fuch  powerful  habits  as  thefe,  are 
not  acquired  without  much  reflection  and 
exercife.  Reftraint  of  any  kind  (and  all 
virtue,  at  firft,  is  fuch)  is  neceffarily  pain 
ful,  and  therefore  will  not  be  fubmitted  to 
without  fome  ftrong  counteracting  princi 
ple,  without  a  principle  of  fubmiffion  to  fome 
authority,  as  that  of  a  parent,  of  a  magiftrate, 
of  confcieiice,  or  of  God.  This,  as  I  fhewed 
you,  is  the  moft  certain  and  the  moft  power 
ful  of  all,  and  it  is  no  where  fo  clearly  afcer- 
tained  as  in  revelation.  There  we  learn  in 
the  moft  intelligible  language,  what  it  is  that 
the  Lord  our  God  requires  of  us,  in  order 
to~  live  and  to  die  in  his  favour,  fo  as  to 
fecure  a  happy  immortality. 

Do  not  deceive  yourfelves  by  imagin 
ing  that  this  great  prize,  of  eternal  life,  is 
to  be  attained  without  exertion  and  labour. 

Ad- 


403  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

Advantages  far  inferior  to  this  are  never 
fecured  without  them;  and  can  we  expeft 
that  the  greateft  of  all  good,  Ihould  be 
obtained  fo  eafily  ?  Chriftianity  is,  no 
doubt,  the  fame  thing  now  that  it  was  in 
the  time  of  Chrift  and  the  apoftles  :  and 
he  faid,  (Matt.  x.  37.)  He  that  lovetb  father 
or  mother,  fen  or  daughter,  'wife  or  friend, 
more  than  me  is  not  'worthy  of  me,  and  he  that 
taketh  not  up  his  crofs  and  followeth  me  is  not 
-worthy  of  me.  The  apoftle  Paul  frequently 
compares  the  life  of  a  Chriftian  to  a  ftate 
of  -warfare,  as  when  he  exhorts  Chriftians 
Tim.  vi.  12.  to  fight  the  good  fight  of  faith, 
and  Eph.  vi.  1 1 .  to  put  on  the  'whole  armour  of 
God.  He  alfo  compares  it  to  a  race,  as 
when  he  fays,  I  Cor.  ix.  14.70  run  that  ye 
may  obtain,  viz.  what  he  calls  (Phil.  iii.  14.) 
the  prize  of  the  high  calling  of  God  in  Chrift 
Jefus.  Now  both  the  ftate  of  warfare, 
and  the  exercifes  of  running  and  wreftling, 
as  praftifed  in  the  Grecian  games,  to 
which  the  apoftle  alludes,  required  great 
preparation  before  the  conteft,  and  great 
exertion  in  the  courfe  of  it* 

If 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  403 

If  we  be  chriftians  in  earneft,  we  muft 
have  the  advantages  of  Chriftianity,  and 
the  profpeft  of  its  rewards  in  a  future 
ftate,  fo  much  at  heart,  that  we  fhall 
prefer  them  to  every  other  confideration, 
to  every  thing  in  life,  and  to  life  itfelf.  I  do 
not  fay  that  they  who  cannot  do  this  are 
no  Chriftians,  or  are  to  be  numbered  with 
the  wicked,  and  configned  to  future  punifti- 
ment ;  but  they  cannot  have  any  juft  claim 
to  thofe  diftinguiihed  rewards  of  Chrifti 
anity,  which  are  promifed  to  thofe  who 
are  faid  to  have  overcome  the  world,  which 
implies  a  contending  with  great  difficulties, 
and  of  whom  it  is  faid  (Rev.  iii.  21.)  that 
they  fhall  fit  down  with  Cbrift  on  bis  throne,  as 
fa  alfo  overcame,  and  is  fat  down  with  his 
father  on  his  throne.  In  the  houfe  of  God 
the  kingdom  of  heaven,  there  are  many 
manfions,  and  the  choiceft  are  referved  for 
thofe  who  (Acls  iv.  22)  through  much  tribu 
lation  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God.  But  as 
we  do  not  content  ourfelves  with  low 
attainments  in  this  world  when  higher  are 
within  our  reach,  let  the  fame  ambition 

animate 


404.  REVEALED    RELIGION. 

animate  us  with  refpecl:  to  things   of  ftill 
more  value,   in  another  world. 

As  there  are  all  varieties  of  characters 
in  men,  and  all  gradations  in  every  cha- 
rafter,  in  this  world,  there  will,  no  doubt, 
be  a  correfponding  distribution  of  rewards 
and  punifhments  in  a -future  ftate,  though 
in  a  general  way  of  fpeaking,  and  in  the 
fcriptures,  men  are  ufually  divided  into 
two  clafles,  the  righteous  and  the  wicked. 
For  the  Judge  of  all  the  earth  will,  no  doubt, 
do  that  which  is  right ;  and  if  fo,  there 
muft  be  as  great  a  variety  of  fituations 
in  the  future  world,  as  there  are  of 
characters  and  deferts  of  men  in  this, 
though  we  may  not  be  able  to  form  any 
idea,  or  conjecture,  in  what  manner  this 
will,  or  can,  be  effected. 

It  may,  indeed,  be  faid,  and  with 
truth,  that  if  we  love  virtue  at  all,  fo 
as  to  be  juftly  intitled  to  the  character  of 
virtuous  and  confcientious  men,  we  {hall  fet  no 
bounds  to  our  love  of  it.  For  if,  in  any 
cafe,  we  give  other  objects  and  purfuits  a 
preference  to  it,  it  is  only  in  fome  cafes, 

and 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  405 

and  not  univerfally,  that  we  are  difpofed 
to  aft  the  confcientious  and  upright  part; 
whereas  God  requires  that  we  fhould  give 
him  our  whole  hearts,  we  muft  (Matt.  xxii. 
37.)  love  the  Lord  our  God,  'with  all  the 
heart,  'with  all  the  Joul,  and  all  the  mind,  that 
is,  we  muft  be  wholly  devoted  to  his  will, 
in  doing  and  in  fuffering,  in  life  and  in 
death.  The  apoftle  James  obferves  (chap, 
ii.  10.)  that  he  "who  keeps  the  whole  law, 
but  offends  in  one  point,  is  guilty  of  all.  If 
there  be  any  cafe  in  which  a  man  wilfully 
and  habitually  offends,  he  certainly  wants 
the  proper  principle  of  obedience,  that  is,  a 
juft  refpecl  for  the  divine  authority,  which 
would  lead  to  an  uniform  and  invariable 
regard  to  the  laws  of  God.  This  is  a 
proof  that  there  is  fome  vicious  propenfity, 
to  which,  in  his  mind,  every  thing  elfe 
will  give  way ;  and  that,  had  he  had  as 
ftrong  a  propenfity  to  any  other  gratifi 
cation  or  purfuit,  he  would  have  been 
equally  regardlefs  of  the  authority  of  God 
in  that  cafe  alfo.  For  he  only  obeys  the 
laws  of  God,  and  the  dictates  of  con* 

fcience, 


406  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

fcience,  when  he  feels  no   ftrong  tempta 
tion  to  tranfgrefs  them. 

In  this  cafe  no  perfon  can  properly  be 
faid  to  be  a  fervant  of  God,  or  of  rigbteouf- 
ncfs,  but  only  a  flave  to  his  own  favourite 
appetite  or  paffion.  But  we  cannot  ferve 
God  and  mammon. 

In  the  prefent  ftate  of  things,  fuch  as 
we  cannot  doubt  is  the  beft  for  a  ftate  of 
trial  and  difcipline,  a  theatre  on  which  to 
form  great  and  excellent  chara&ers,  a  pro 
per  Chriftian  temper  is  neceflarily  a  difficult 
attainment.  To  form  a  truly  great  cha 
racter  there  muft  be  many  difficulties  to 
ftruggle  with,  evils  of  all  kinds,  moral  as 
well  as  natural.  For  how  could  the  greater 
virtues  of  forbearance,  doing  good  againft 
evil,  refignation,  and  truft  in  God,  be 
formed,  but  in  a  world  in  which  men 
fhould  be  expofed  to  injuries  of  every  kind. 
Not  only  could  not  real  virtue  be  tried, 
and  confequently  known,  but  it  could  not 
even  be  formed,  or  exift,  in  other  circum- 
ftances.  And  furely  the  character  in  which 
the  virtues  above  mentioned  exift  is  greatly 

fuperior 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  407 

fuperior  to  that  of  the  generality  of  the 
world ;  who  hot  comprehending  its  nature 
or  value,  will  under-rate  and  defpife  it. 
With  them  what  is  commonly  called  a  high 
fpirit,  and  a  promptnefs  to  revenge  injuries, 
will  be  more  admired  and  cultivated  than 
a  difpofition  to  pity  and  befriend  the  inju 
rious  perfon,  which  will  be  reckoned  tame, 
and  defpicable;  though  certainly  it  muft 
appear,  on  a  little  confideration,  that  the 
latter  is  more  truly  magnanimous,  implying 
a  greater  command  of  paffion,  and  fuperior 
reflection.  It  is  no  lefs  evident  that  it  is 
this  prevailing  fpirit  of  the  world  which  fills 
private  life  with  quarrels,  and  which,  en 
tering  into  courts,  fills  the  world  with  wars, 
the  fource  of  unlpeakable  mifery;  whereas 
a  truly  Chriftian  temper,  a  humble,  meek, 
and  benevolent  difpofition  would  make  the 
intercourfe  of  individuals,  and  of  nations, 
the  fource  of  peace  and  of  happinefs. 

It  is,  however,  no  fmall  attainment  to 
get  above  the  cenfure  and  contempt  of 
perfons  whofe  minds  are  in  a  lower  and 
more  degraded  ftate  than  our  own,  when 

they 


4o8  THE    EVIDENCES    OF 

they  are  the  great  majority  of  the  world 
we  live  in,  and  are  likely  to  continue  fo. 
In  this  ftate  of  things  great  exertion  of 
mind  is  requifite  fo  far  to  overcome  the 
world,  as  to  poflefs  our  own  minds  in  peace 
and  joy.  It  can  only  be  done  by  looking 
habitually  towards  a  ftate  in  which  a  truer 
judgment  of  characters  will  be  formed, 
and  in  which  thofe  who  are  really  fuperior 
here  will  be  advanced  to  that  ftate  of  con- 
fideration  and  refpect  to  which  they  are 
intitled. 

The  real  difference  between  a  merely 
nominal  believer,  and  an  unbeliever  is 
very  fmall,  and  of  little  confequence,  com 
pared  to  the  difference  between  the  merely 
nominal  and  the  real  Chriftian.  What  are 
the  generality  of  Chriftians,  in  what  are  cal 
led  chriftian  countries  ?  They  are,  in  fact, 
perfons  who  mind  nothing  but  their  bufi- 
nefs,  or  their  pleafure,  without  giving  any 
attention  to  the  principles  of  chriftianity 
at  all.  It  is  by  no  means  the  fubject  of 
their  daily  thoughts,  it  fupplies  no  motives 
to  their  actions,  it  contributes  nothing  to 

moderate 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  409 

moderate  their  joys,  or  to  alleviate  their 
forrows.  It  neither  enables  them  to  bear 
the  troubles  of  life,  nor  does  it  give  them 
any  folid  hope  in  death.  Whereas  the 
real  Chriflian,  as  the  apoftle  fays,  Rom. 
xii.  15.  rejoices  as  though  he  rejoiced  not,  and 
weeps  as  though  he  wept  not,  becaufe  the  fa* 
flnon  of  this  -world  paffeth  away,  and  the  Lord 
is  at  hand.  He  is  ever  looking,  Tit.  ii.  13. 
to  that  bleffed  hope,  even  the  glorious  appearing 
of  the  great  God,  and  his  Saviour  Chrift, 
and  has  peace  and  joy  in  believing. 

4.  Chriftianity  is  lefs  to  be  confidered 
as  a  fyftein  of  opinions,  than  a  rule  of  life* 
But  of  what  fignification  is  a  rule,  if  it  be 
not  be  complied  with  ?  All  the  doftrines 
of  chriftianity  have  for  their  object  chrif- 
tian  morals,  which  are  no  other  than  the 
well  known  duties  of  life  ;  and  the  advan 
tage  we  derive  from  this  religion  is  that 
the  principles  of  it  affift  us  in  maintaining 
that  fteady  regard  to  the  providence  and 
moral  government  of  God,  and  to  a  fu 
ture  ft  ate,  which  facilitates  and  enfures  the 
practice  of  thofe  duties;  infpiring  greater 

piety 


410  THE    EVIDENCES    OK 

piety  towards  God,  greater  benevolence 
to  man,  and  that  heavenly  mindednefs 
which  raifes  the  heart  and  affections 
above  thofe  mean  and  low  purfuits 
which  are  the  fource  of  almoft  all  vices. 
But  chriftian  principles  not  reflected  upon, 
or  attended  to,  cannot  be  accompanied 
with  any  advantage  of  this  kind;  and  bet 
ter,  furely,  were  it  to  make  no  profeffion 
of  any  principles,  than  to  live  without  a 
due  regard  to  them.  Better,  therefore, 
were  it  for  any  perfon  to  be  an  unbeliever  in 
chriftianity,  than  to  be  a  Chriftian,  and  live 
as  if  he  had  not  been  one.  He  deprives  him- 
felf  of  all  apology  or  excufe,  for  his  bad  con 
duct.  And  it  would,  I  fear,  be  happy  for 
thoufands  of  prof  effing  Chriftian  s,  if  they 
had  been  born  and  lived  among  heathens. 

We  cannot  too  much  imprefs  upon  our 
minds,  that  religion  of  any  kind,  is  only 
a  means  to  a  certain  eiidy  and  that  this  end 
is  good  conduct  in  life.  Confequently, 
if  this  end  be  not  attained,  we  not  only 
lofe  the  advantage  of  the  means,  or  in- 
•ftrument,  of  which  we  were  poflefled, 

but 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  4u 

but  are  chargeable  with  the  guilt  of  fuch 
neglect,  are  guilty  of  an  ungrateful  con 
tempt  of  the  means  that  were  afforded  us 
for  the  greateft  and  beft  of  purpofes  ; 
and  can  we  expect  that  this  will  go  un- 
punifhed  ? 

Thjb  guilt  of  unbelief  does  not  confift 
in  mere  difbelieving.  For  opinions  of  any 
kind,  as  fuch,  bear  no  relation  to  crimi 
nality,  but  in  refufmg  to  confider  with 
due  ferioufnefs  and  impartiality  the  evi 
dence  of  chriftianity  that  is  laid  before 
men  ;  that  refufal  arifing  from,  and  im 
plying,  fome  vicious  prejudice,  or  improper 
bias.  And  if,  in  any  particular  cafe  (and 
I  doubt  not  there  are  fuch)  this  refufal 
does  not  arife  from  any  vicious  prejudice, 
there  is  nothing  to  blame  in  fuch  refufal. 
If,  for  example,  any  perfon  had  no  accefs 
to  the  fcriptures,  by  which  he  might  have 
had  the  means  of  better  information,  and 
he  was  required  to  believe,  as  what  was 
contained  in  them,  things  that  he  found 
it  abfolutely  impoffible  for  him  to  believe, 
as  that  bread  and  wine  were  flefh  andblood, 

I  i  or 


THE     EVIDENCES    OF 

or  any  thing  elfe  that  appeared  to  him 
equally  impoffible,  he  muft  of  neceffity  either 
be  an  unbeliever,  or  give  up  all  pretence 
to  common  fenfe* 

No  perfon,  however,  can  be  wholly 
innocent  who  does  not  weigh  the  difficul 
ties  of  believing  with  thofe  of  unbelief. 
Whatever  difficulties  any  perfon  finds,  or 
are  thrown  in  his  way,  he  Ihould  confider 
the  general  evidence  of  the  great  facls 
on  which  chriftianity  is  founded ;  and  if 
that  be  fufficient,  he  may  be  fatisfied  that, 
though  he  cannot  for  the  prefent  account 
for  fome  particular  appearances,  or  repre- 
fentations,  the  difficulties  occafioned  by  this 
circumfbance  cannot  be  infuperable  ;  fince 
all  truths  are  confiftent  with  one  an 
other.  If  it  appear,  from  indilputable 
hiftorical  evidence,  that  Chrift  wrought 
real  miracles,  if  he  died,  and  rofe  from  the 
dead,  his  religion  is  unquestionably  from 
God ;  and  then  all  the  abfurdities  charged 
upon  his  doftrine  muft  have  arifen  from  fomc 
mifconception,  or  mifreprefentation,  though 
we  may  not  be  able  to  trace  it.  But  it  is 
no  uncommon  thing  for  a  difficulty  which 

appears 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  413 

appears  infuperable  to  day,  to  be  cleared 
up  to-morrow,  as  we  fee  in  many  cafes. 

The  principles  of  chriftianity,  how 
ever,  may  be,  and  no  doubt  are,  of  great 
ufe  when  they  are  not  explicitly  attended 
to.  They  have  been  the  means  of  eftablifh- 
ing  fuch  maxims  and  habits  in  parents,  as 
are  afterwards  communicated  to  their  pof- 
terity,  more  by  the  natural  and  filent 
operation  of  example,  than  by  direcl  in- 
ftruction ;  fo  that  unbelievers,  born  of 
Chriftian  parents,  and  living  in  a  chriftian 
country,  may  be,  in  a  manner,  half  Chrifti- 
ans,  without  their  knowing  it.  Alfo  mere 
nominal  Chriftians  are,  no  doubt,  often 
reftrained  from  vices  and  irregularities 
forbidden  by  chriftianity,  without  their 
being  aware  that  the  reftraint  comes  origi 
nally  from  that  quarter  ;  having  acquired 
habits  of  decent  and  proper  conduct,  which 
operate  mechanically,  and  without  any 
explicit  regard  to  chriftian  principles, 
though  originally  derived  from  them. 

There  are  alfo,  all  degrees  of  the  in 
fluence  of  chriftian  principles,  from  the 
I  i  2  exalted 


414  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

exalted  character  of  Chrift  and  the  apoftles, 
and  many  others  in  every  age,  who  had 
no  other  object  of  attention,  and  all  whofe 
thoughts,  fentiments,  words,  and  actions, 
were  under  the  conflant  influence  of  them, 
who  lived  as  the  apoftle  faid,  as  if  con- 
ftantly  feeing  things  invifible,  Heb.  xi.  27. 
by  faith  and  not  by  fight,  2  Cor.  v.  7.  as 
if  the  great  fcenes  of  the  future  world 
were  prefent  to  them ;  there  is  a  great 
difference,  I  fay,  between  fuch  chriftians  as 
thefe,  and  thofe  of  the  loweft  order,  who 
may,  indeed,  have  read  the  fcriptures,  or 
part  of  them,  and  who  retain  fome  know 
ledge  of  them,  and  who  entertain  no  doubt 
of  their  truth,  but  in  their  general  conduct 
they  give  no  explicit  attention  to  them. 
Neverthelefs  the  knowledge  they  have  ac 
quired  has  left  fome  favourable  impreffions 
on  their  minds,  fome  latent  fear  of  God, 
and  refpect  to  his  providence,  and  a  world 
to  come,  which  prevents  the  commiffion  of 
great  crimes,  and  leads  to  an  uniformly  bet 
ter  conduit  than  they  would  otherwife  have 
been  capable  of. 

5.  if 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  415 

5.   If  we  have  any  value  for  our  re 
ligion,  thinking  it  to  be  an  ufeful  inftitution, 
and   wifti  well  to  our  fellow  creatures,  to 
whom  we  are  therefore  defirous  to  recom 
mend  it,  we  fhould  be  particularly  careful 
to  exhibit  it  to  proper  advantage,    in  our 
own    difpofitions    and    conduct.      It  is  to 
this  that  the  generality  of  mankind,  ina- 
tentive  to    reafoning,    will  look,  and   not 
unjuftly.       Our    Saviour   himfelf  faid    of 
pretenders  to    prophecy,   and  of  men   in 
general,  Matt.  vii.  6.  By  their  fruits  ye  Jhall 
know   them.      Indeed,  as  the  only  end  of 
good   principles    is   good    pra&ice,  if  the 
latter  be  not    apparent,    the  former    will 
not  be  inferred.      On  this  account  we  muft 
not  confine  our  religion  to  our  clofets,  but 
carry  it  with  us  into  life,   and  in  the  bufl- 
nefs  and  buflle  of  it,  difcover  that  fuperior 
meeknefs,   benevolence,  and  difmterefted- 
nefs,    which   chriftian  principles    tend    to 
infpire.      We  fhould,  in  all  refpe&s,    fhew 
a  greater  command  of  our  paffions,   and  a 
greater  freedom   from  the  influence  of  a 
love  of  fenfual  pleafure,  of  ambition,  and 

avarice 


4i  6  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

avarice,  and  from  all  thofe  vices  which 
arife  from  an  exceffive  love  of  the  world, 
and  the  things  of  it,  to  which  a  regard  to 
heaven  and  heavenly  things,  (on  which 
alone  our  beft  affe&ions  ought  to  be  fet) 
naturally  leads. 

When  this  is  done,  but  not  before,  the 
world  in  general  will  have  an  opportunity 
of  perceiving  the  real  effeft  of  chriftian 
principles;  and  if  they  be  not  properly  in 
fluenced  by  it,  the  blame  will  not  be  ours. 
There  can  be  no  doubt  but  that,  though  on 
fome  the  faireft  and  moft  advantageous 
exhibition  of  chriftian  conduct  may  have 
an  unfavourable  effeft,  fmce  as  our  Saviour 
obferved,  there  are  thofe  who  (John.  iii. 
19.)  love  darknefs  rather  than  light,  and  that 
the  ivor  Id,  which  loves  its  own  (xv.  9.) 
will  hate  his  difciples  becaufe  they  are  not  of 
the  ivor  Id 9  this  will  be  the  cafe  only  with 
thofe  whofe  hearts  are  greatly  corrupted. 
On  others  the  effeft  muft  be  favourable.  As 
he  fays,  (Matt.  v.  6.)  that  'when  our  light 
Jhines  before  men  they  ivould  fee  the  good  ivorks  of 
his  difciples,  and  glorify  his  father  ivho  is  in 

heaven 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  41 7 

heaven.  What  he  meant  by  glorifyingGod,  we 
clearly  fee  from  his  faying  on  another  oo 
cafion  (John  xv.  8.)  then  is  my  father  glorified 
'when  ye  bring  forth  much  fruit,  that  is,  fruits 
of  righteoufnefs9  which  the  apoftle  alfo  fays, 
(Phil.  i.  n.)  are  to  the  praife  and  glory  of 
God. 

But,  on  the  other  hand,  if,  in  the 
whole  tenor  of  men's  lives,  there  does  not 
appear  to  be  any  difference  between  the 
Chriftian  and  the  man  of  the  world,  how 
can  thofe  who  have  no  other  means  of 
judging,  or  who  will  not  have  Vecourfe  to 
any  other,  fuppofe  that  there  is  any  advan 
tage  in  the  principles  of  the  one  more  than 
in  thofe  of  the  other?  If  the  nominal 
Chriftian  behave  juft  like  other  men,  if  he 
puts  as  little  reftraint  upon  himfelf  in  indul 
gences  of  any  kind;  if  he  be  as  ambitious, 
as  avaricious,  and  as  revengeful,  when 
provoked;  if  he  appear  to  have  no  greater 
regard  to  God,  or  love  to  mankind;  {hew 
ing  itfelf,  as  it  natually  will,  in  a&s  of 
kindnefs,  generofity,  and  mercy ;  if  the 
Chriftian  appear  to  be  in  all  refpeds,  as 

much 


4i 8  THE    EVIDENCES     OF 

much  attached  to  the  world,  and  the 
things  of  it,  as  other  men  are,  they  will 
naturally  fay,  that  all  his  pretences  to  a 
belief  in  a  future  world,  a  world  pre 
pared  for  the  righteous  only,  are  vain, 
when  it  is  evident  from  his  conduct,  that 
this  world  has  as  full  poffeffion  of  his  heart 
as  it  has  of  thofe  of  other  men. 

By  this  conduct,  not  becoming,  and 
adorning,  but  difgracing,  his  profeffion, 
the  nominal  Chriftian  incurs  the  woe  pro 
nounced  by  our  Saviour,  (Matt,  xviii.  7.) 
It  muft  needs  be  that  offences  come,  but  woe  to 
the  man  by  whom  they  come.  By  this  means 
we  not  only  lofe  the  benefit  of  chriftian 
principles  ourfelves,  but,  by  giving  others 
an  unfavourable  opinion  of  chriftianity,  we 
indifpofe  them  to  the  reception  of  it,  and 
confequently  deprive  them  of  the  benefit 
of  it.  Inflead  of  being  preachers  of  the 
gofpel,  as  every  Chriftian  in  fome  fenfe  or 
other  ought  to  be,  and  which  every  chriftian 
may  be,  at  leaft  by  his  example,  a  perfon 
who  is  only  a  nominal  Chriftian,  but  a  vi 
cious  man,  is  in  fact  a  preacher  of  infidelity, 

and 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  419 

and  does  every  thing  that  is  in  his  power 
to  unchriltianize  the  world.  On  this  ac 
count  there  was  great  life  in  the  ftridl  dif- 
cipline  of  the  primitive  church,  which 
rejected  all  fuch  perfons  from  their  com 
munion.  Vicious  men  were  to  them  as 
heathen  men  and  publicans.  Being  excluded 
from  all  connection  with  Chriftians,  and 
being  known  to  be  fo,  the  caufe  of  chrifti- 
nity  did  not  fuffer  by  their  mifconducl  *. 

It 


*  It  has  been  unfortunate  for  the  caufe  of  chriftianity, 
that  ecclefiaftical  hiftory,  like  the  civil,  is,  in  a  great  mea- 
fure,  an  exhibition  of  vices,  and  of  mifery.  For  thefe  things 
are  always  moft  prominent,  and  catch  the  attention  of  the 
generality  of  obfervers;  while  the  beneficial  effects  of  reli 
gious,  as  well  as  of  civil  inflitutions,  are  much  lefs  confpicu- 
oiis.  The  meek,  the  humble,  and  the  heavenly  minded, 
though  the  benevolent  amoft^  Chriftians,  attract  little  atten 
tion,  and  therefore  make  no  figure  in  the  eye  of  an  hiftorian. 
Befides,  in  all  cafes,  virtue  is  more  common  than  vice;  and 
on  this  account  the  latter  attracts  more  attention.  The  for 
mer  is  like  the  gentle  rain,  or  dew,  which  though  it  does 
infinite  good,  yet,  becauie  it  is  common,  is  not  fo  much 
noticed,  as  the  deftructive  ftorm  or  hurricane,  which  tears  up 
every  thing  before  it,  and  lays  a  'whole  country  wafte. 

Wealth  and  power  will  corrupt  the  hearts  of  men.     It 
cannot,    therefore,    be  thought  extraordinary,    if  this  was 
the  effect  of  wealth  and  power  in  the  bilbops  of  the  greater 
fees,  and  it  is  the  conduct  of  thefe  men  about  which  ec 
clefiaftical 


420  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

6  It  will  be  enquired  by  what  means 
the  influence  of  the  world  can  be  counter 
acted,  or  by  what  means  a  due  attention 

to 


clefiaftical  hiftory  is  moft  converfant;  while  the  poor, 
tne  humble,  and  laborious  teachers  of  chriftianity,  and 
their  hearers  in  lower  life,  who  were  really  influenced  by 
its  fpirit,  and  laid  themfelves  out  to  do  good,  hoping  for 
no  reward  but  in  heaven,  pafled  unnoticed. 

Occalions,  however,  have  frequently  occurred,  which 
drew  out  thefe  men,  and  their  principles,  into  public  view. 
I  mean  feafonfr  of  perfecution ;  and  then  it  might  be  feen 
what  the  power  of  chriftian  principles  really  is.  And  when 
it  is  confidered  what  numbers  of  Chriftians  have  fuffered 
for  their  religion,  in  the  heathen,  the  Papal,  and  even  pro- 
teftant,  perfecutions,  what  torture  many  of  them  endured, 
and,  what  is.  much  more  trying,  of  how  long  continuance 
were  the  fufferings  of  many  of  them,  in  prifons  and  dun 
geons,  where  they  lingered  out  their  lives  deflitute  of  every 
comfort,  when  liberty,  life,  honour,  and  wealth,  would 
have  been  the  reward  of  a  fimple  renunciation  of  their  faith, 
it  will  be  evident  that  there  is  in^  chriftianity  fomething  that 
has  great  power  over  the  hearts  and  lives  of  men. 

But  the  principal  circumftance  to  be  attended  to  in  the 
hiftories  of  perfecutions  is  not  the  greatnefs,  or  the  duration 
of  the  fufferings  of  the  martyrs,  but  the  temper  of  mind 
with  which  they  fuffered  ;  their  piety,  their  patience,  their 
meeknefs,  their  benevolence,  their  freedom  from  the  fpirit 
of  revenge,  and  the  good  will  which  they  fliewed  even  to  their 
enemies  and  perfecutors.  This  is  an  attainment  of  a  truly 
extraordinary  nature,  which  it  is  in  vain  that  we  look  for 
among  the  heathens.  This  is  not  the  difpofition  with  which 
the  North  American  Indian  bears  his  torture. 

Should 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  421 

to  chriftian  principles  can  be  bed  fecured. 
I  anfwer,  the  principal  means  to  effect  this 
gr£at  purpofe,  and  one  that  will  naturally 
lead  to  every  other,  is  a  familiar  acquaint 
ance  with  the  fcriptures.  The  zealous 
chriftian  will  make  thefe  books  his  con- 
ftant  companions.  With  the  pious  Pfalmift 
(Pialm  i.  2.)  bis  delight  will  be  in  the  law  of 
the  Lord,  and  in  his  law  will  he  meditate  day 
and  night. 

Be  aflured  that  in  reading  the  fcrip 
tures  ever  fo  often,  you  will  always  find 
fomething  new  and  inter  efting.  Many 


Should  perfecution  again  arife,  chriftian  principles  being 
the  fame  that  they  ever  were,  would,  I  doubt  not,  produce 
as  great  and  as  extenfive  effects.  But  I  am  far  from  wimin^ 
for  an  experiment  of  this  kind.  We  are  directed  not  to 
court,  but  to  fhun  perfecution,  if  we  can  do  it  with  integrity 
and  honour,  from  which,  however,  we  are  never  to  fvverve. 
And  perhaps  chriftian  principles  undergo  a  trial  no  lefs  fe- 
vere  in  profperity  than  in  adverfity.  It  is  commonly  faid, 
and  with  truth,  that  if  adverfity  has  flain  its  thoufands, 
profperity  has  flain  its  ten  thoufands.  A  feafon  of  perfecution 
forces  an  attention  to  chriftian  principles,  and  unites  num- 
bere  in  the  fame  caufe;  but  in  profperity  we  muft  of  our  own 
accord,  and  without  any  external  impulfe,  give  attention 
to  chriftian  principles ;  and  this  the  obtrufion  of  worldly 
objefts  too  often  prevents. 

difficulties 


422  THE     EVIDENCES     OF 

difficulties  you  will,  no  doubt,  meet  with, 
as  may  be  expelled  in  books  of  fuch  great 
antiquity,  written  many  of  them  in  a  lan 
guage  which  is  but  imperfectly  underftood, 
and  abounding  with  allufions  to  cuftoms 
with  which  we  in  this  part  of  the  world 
are  unacquainted,  and,  which  being  in 
many  refpects  the  reverfe  of  ours,  will  of 
courfe  appear  unnatural.  But  new  light 
is  thrown  upon  things  of  this  nature  every 
day.  Many  difficulties  are  already  cleared 
up  in  the  moft  fatisfaclory  manner,  and  in 
the  mean  time  every  thing  of  this  nature 
may  be  fafely  neglected,  or  referred  to 
farther  confi deration,  efpecially  if  you  read 
for  the  purpofe  of  moral  improvement, 
the  greateft  part  of  the  Bible  being  per 
fectly  intelligible  to  every  capacity,  and  in 
the  higheft  degree  ufeful  and  edifying. 

A  familiar  acquaintance  with  the  fcrip- 
tures  will  preferve  upon  the  mind  a  lively 
fenfe  of  God  and  his  moral  government. 
It  will  continually  bring  into  view,  and 
give  you  an  habit  of  contemplating,  the 
great  plan  of  providence,  refpecting  the 

defign 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  423 

defigns  of  God  in  the  creation  of  man,  and 
his  ultimate  deftination.      You  will  by  this 
means  have  a  clearer   view  of   the  divine 
wifdom  and  goodnefs  in  the  government  of 
the  world,    even   in  the  moft    calamitous 
events,  as  in  the  corruption  of  true  religion, 
as  well  as  in  the   reformation  of  it.      You 
will  perceive  figns  of  order  in  the  prefent 
feemingly   difordered  ftate  of  things,   and 
will  rejoice  in  the  profpecl  of  the  glorious 
completion    of   the   fcheme,    in    univerfal 
virtue  and  univerfal  happinefs.    Such  views 
of  things   as  thefe,  which  will  be  perpetu 
ally  fuggefted  by  the  reading  of  the  fcrip- 
tures,have  the  greatefl  tendency  to  ennoble 
and  enlarge  the  mind ,  to  raife  our  thoughts 
and  affe&ions  above  the  low  purfbits  which 
wholly  occupy  and  diftracl  the  minds  of  the 
bulk    of    mankind,     they    will    infpire    a 
moft  delightful  ferenity  in  the  midft  of  the 
cares  and  troubles  of  life,    and    impart  a 
joyivhicb  the  'world  can  neither  give  nor  take  away. 
By  the  frequent  reading  of  the   fcrip- 
tures  we  fhall  be  unavoidably  led  to   the 
exercifes  of  meditation,   conftant  watch- 

fulnefs 


424  THE  EVIDENCES  OF 

fulnefs,  and  prayer,  and  every  other  means 
of  virtuous  improvement,  whatever  has 
any  tendency  to  reprefs  what  is  vicious 
and  defective,  and  promote  what  is  mod 
excellent  in  the  human  character. 

The  ftudy  of  the  fcriptures,  which 
contain  the  hiftory  of  the  tranfa&ions  of 
God  with  men,  and  which  furnifti  topics 
of  difcuffion  proper  for  the  exercife  of  the 
greateft  genius,  is  equally  interefting  to 
the  lowed  and  the  mod  improved  of  the 
human  race.  Sir  Ifaac  Newton,  whofe 
reputation  as  a  philofopher  dands  higher 
than  that  of  any  other  man,  devoted 
almod  the  whole  of  his  time  after  he  was 
turned  forty  (and  he  lived  to  the  age  of 
eighty-four)  to  theology ;  and  from  my 
perfonal  knowledge  I  can  fay  that  fome 
perfons  now  living,  and  lately  living  in 
England,  who  had  greatly  didinguifhed 
themfelves,  in  mathematical  and  philofophi- 
cal  purfuits,  declared  that,  as  they  advanced 
in  life,  they  had  the  mod  fa tisf action  in 
theological  ones.  Nor  can  this  be  thought 
extraordinary,  when  it  is  confidered  that 

thefe 


REVEALED    RELIGION.  ^ 

thefe  are  fubjefts  of  infinitely  more  mo 
ment  than  any  others  to  rational  beings, 
born  for  immortality. 

Let  us  then,  my  chriftian  brethren, 
whatever  be  our  fituation  or  employment 
in  life,  whether  our  purfuits  relate  to  agri 
culture,  manufactures,  commerce,  natural 
philofophy,  or  any  of  the  learned  profeffions; 
though  we  ihould  be  employed  in  the  more 
immediate  fervice  of  the  public,  in  any  civil, 
or  military  capacity,  let  us  not  forget  that 
we  are  men  and  CbrijKanf,  and  without  ne- 
glefting  the  immediate  and  neceflary  bufi- 
nefs  of  this  life,  attend  chiefly  to  what  is  of 
infinitely  more  importance,  viz.  our  defti- 
nation  to  another ;  and,  accordingly  be 
folicitous  to  aft  fuch  a  part,  and  to  culti 
vate  fuch  habits,  as  will  be  our  beft 
preparation  for  it ;  that  whenever  we  come 
to  die,  the  great  bufmefs  of  life  may  be 
done,  and  vve  may  be  like  fervants  con- 
ftantly  looking  for  the  return  of  their 
lord,  that  ivben  be  flmll  return,  ami  Take  an 
account  of  bis  fervants,  iue  may  be  found  of  him, 
as  the  apoftle  fays,  2  Pet.  iii.  14.  without 

fpot 


426  THE    EVIDENCES,  &c. 

fpot  and  blamelefs,  and  not  be  afhamed  before 
him  at  bis  coming :  but  at  the  great  day,  em 
phatically  fo  called,  before  the  confidera- 
tion  of  which  every  thing  elfe  fhould 
vanifli  like  a  fhadow,  we  may  hear  the 
joyful  fentence,  Matt.  xxv.  21.  'well  done 
good  and  faithful  fervants,  enter  ye  into  the 
joy  of  your  lord. 


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